Just Give Me A Reason
by littlee0618
Summary: Rated M for language and content. It was the fight to end all fights. A real knock 'em down, drag 'em out kind of fight that left one with clenched teeth and fists, steam coming from the ears and the need to punch the ever living crap out of a loved one. It had become their new normal. And neither Finn or Rachel knew how to change that. Or if they could change it.
1. I Don't Wanna Fight No More

**Hola!  
Don't kill me. This story idea LITERALLY woke me up at 4AM about two weeks ago and wouldn't let me sleep until I had plotted a good half of it out. I know I have several stories on the go, I can't promise when they'll be updated but I'm doing my best to balance it all. But this one LITERALLY has taken over most of my writing time.**

**That being said, this story is a lot darker than my other stuff. It's Rated M for language, so if cursing bothers you, than I suggest you check out one of my other stories instead :). I'm not going to make any promises that this is going to be pretty, but just bear with me. I promise you'll be okay with the ending. Maybe ;)**

**Anyways, hope you enjoy "Just Give Me A Reason"!**

**And as always, I don't own Finn, Rachel or anyone involved with Glee. Everyone belongs to FOX and Ryan Murphy. I just own the plot and any original characters.**

* * *

**Chapter One: January 2027  
**  
It was the fight to end all fights. A real knock 'em down, drag 'em out kind of fight that left one with clenched teeth and fists, steam coming from the ears and the need to punch the ever living shit out of a loved one.

Rachel Berry-Hudson could hear the blood rushing through her veins, pulsing in her ears as she glared at her husband from her position in the small living room. She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, trying to prevent herself from screaming at the top of her lungs at her buffoon of a husband in front of her. Yeah, she'd gone there. He was a big, ugly buffoon of a man who she wanted to slap the fuck out of, more so than she already had. She dug her fingers into the palms of her hands and just glared at him. She didn't even have the words right now to articulate how mad she was, how crazy he made her feel.

For his part, Finn Hudson stood across from her, equally as angry, his eyes flaming from the words that had been spewed at him. He ground his teeth together, his jaw clenching and unclenching as he tried to bottle in everything he was feeling. He felt like he was going to explode at any moment, his heart pounding as he stared down his wife of almost 14 years. He didn't back away or shrink when he saw the glare she was giving him, he was sure it was equally as venomous as the one he was throwing her way.

"You're fucking insane, do you know that?" He spat at her, breaking the silence that had enveloped them.

"Really? REALLY?" She screeched. "Take a look in the mirror one of these days, Finnegan." He took a step closer to her, breaching the defensive stance he had held when the verbal mudslinging had really started.

"I know who I am Rachel, the question is who the fuck are YOU? What have you done with my WIFE?" He snarled, his lips turning up as he stepped so he was within inches of her and looked down. Her head snapped up, her glare reaching red alert proportions. Years ago, this would have made Finn run for the hills, drop to his knees and grovel for forgiveness or just try to diffuse the situation as best as he could. Not this time. Not today. Too much had been said, nothing could be taken back and he wasn't going to stop now.

Things had changed. Too much had changed. She used to think that the changes they had gone through as a family had come from being married for almost 14 years. But now she thought differently. Things had come to a boiling point and it didn't seem like the eruption was going to end any time soon.

It had started the moment she walked in the house from grocery shopping. The house was a disaster, in complete disarray with just _stuff_ everywhere. They hadn't gotten around to taking down the Christmas tree yet, and the girls had yet to collect their Hanukkah and Christmas gifts from under the tree to be taken upstairs. But it was the _mess _ that was around that bugged her. There was empty plates and dirty cups, socks and piles of half marked papers strewn about the small living room. Boots and other winter gear littered their very small entryway and that was just the two rooms she peaked in as she walked in with an armful of groceries.

And she was sure she knew exactly who the culprit was. Her ever so wonderful husband.

She found him right where she left him two hours ago. On the couch, slumped over in bad posture with a video game remote in his hand. The sound of gun shots and blasts resounded from the entertainment system that had been given to them for Christmas by his parents, blared throughout the main floor of their small house. He'd gotten on setting that up real fucking fast as soon as they brought it home. His priorities were so obvious.

The girls were gone for the weekend with Kurt and Blaine and their son Cameron, up to a ski resort in Akron, but they would be back that night as everyone started back to school tomorrow. She had left him with specific instructions to clean up the house while she was gone, because as a thank you for taking their two girls with them for the weekend, they were having Kurt, Blaine and Cameron over for dinner.

And clearly he hadn't moved his enormous ass off the couch since she left. Hell, he hadn't even peeled his eyes away from the damn TV screen when she stomped into the house with full hands.

She dumped the groceries she'd been able to carry in on the small island in the middle of their kitchen before stomping into the living room and standing in front of him, hands on her hips. When he ignored her, moving his head and neck around her to try and see the most of the TV around her, she began to tap her foot on the wooden floor.

"You're kind of being annoying right now _Rachel_, can you move your ass?" He snapped, pressing pause on the controller.

"I need your help with the groceries." She said simply, tapping faster.

"You got them into the cart and into the car by yourself, surely you can lug them into the house."

"Fuck you. Help me!" She stomped her foot as he laughed at her. He actually laughed at her! Who was this asshole?

"Yeah, swearing at me is really going to get me to help you." He laughed. She'd moved around enough to get out of his way unintentionally. "Some mouth you got there, sweetheart."

She tensed. She hated when he called her sweetheart. He knew she hated being called that.

"Lazy asshole." She mumbled as she started to walk out of the living room.

"Excuse me?" He jabbed at the buttons on his controller again, hitting pause for the second time.

"I said, lazy asshole." She said louder. She turned again to leave the room, hearing the controller hit the couch cushion and the distinct noise of her husband rising to his feet. She turned around to look at him. "Hear me now?"

"I heard you loud and clear, frigid bitch." He spat, his arms crossing his broad chest as he stood there, his stance immediately in defensive mode.

"Oh that's how we're going to play? Should I change it to dirty asshole then? Considering that's how it seems you want to play this..." Her hands fisted at her hips.

"When was the last time you picked up around here, huh? Maybe put a dish in the sink, let alone fucking wash something for once..." She glared. "Lazy bastard."

This had become their new normal. Every time they were alone together, things headed south and fast. Like a speeding bullet racing a train, it always seemed like they battled in order to see who could get who riled up faster.

Hurling insults, name calling and just general nastiness were usually the name of the game. No one ever winning anything in the end, the situation only eventually coming to an end when one or both were too steamed or exhausted to really go on. At which point Finn would stomp off to the garage to bang on his drums and Rachel would lock herself in a hot shower or the bedroom to scream out her frustrations. Nothing ever became settled, nothing ever came of these fights.

Until tonight. Tonight it all came to a head, the metaphorical eruption spewing forth from the volcano.

He stared down at her as the last syllable of bastard fell from her lips.

"I would watch what you say, sweetheart" He snarled. "Those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones."

She chuckled in spite of his words, gripping her hips as she stared at him. "Smart. Very smart. I guess that sounded better than takes one to know one, right? I do applaud your attempt at trying to sound like an adult. I mean, nothing else with you points in that direction." She stepped back into the room and began to pick up the dirty dishes and such that were littered around the room. "God, sometimes I think I'm raising THREE children instead of two." She volleyed at him. "Now go get the groceries."

"Fuck the groceries." He spat.

"Well, at least someone...sorry I mean something would be getting action." She mumbled under her breath as she turned to leave the room again with the dirty dishes in her hands.

"Want to say that again, sweetheart?" He growled. He stalked closer to her until he was right behind her, towering above where she stood in the doorway of the room.

"I said it'd be nice if SOMETHING OR SOMEONE IN THIS HOUSE WAS GETTING FUCKED ONCE AND AWHILE." She screamed at the top of her lungs. "Happy now?"

"Ecstatic." He stamped out. "Not like I really want to fuck you anyway."

"Oh, cause that would mean you actually have to put some energy into something that isn't blasting fake enemies to bits, right? I mean, we wouldn't want to take away from that precious fucking time now would we?"

"Fuck you." He stabbed his finger at her. "You know I only do it to get away from you and..."

"And what? Our family? Our girls? So sorry that we're holding you back from whatever it is you think you're missing. Not like you really help with them anyways."

"I help. I play fucking chauffer all weekend and who paid for..."

"Stop right there. You play fucking chauffer? Who drove Autumn to her dance class last, hmm?" She paused. He was silent. She saw the anger in his eyes. "That's right, me. Who dropped Sheridan off at that caroling thing she was doing with her glee club? Oh, I'm sorry your mother did because you were too busy doing God knows what with Puck while I was busy doing OVERTIME at the office...so we could, I don't know...afford Christmas since you decided you NEEDED a new fucking car a week before your supposed favourite holiday."

"I work hard. I spend my mon..."

She didn't give him a chance to finish. "You spend the money you make recklessly. Haven't you noticed that MY car could really use a tune up? Haven't you noticed that the floor in the upstairs bathroom could really use replacing? Of course not, you selfish piece of shit because all you really care about is what Finn wants. What Finn needs, what Finn would like. Never mind that I had to tell Autumn that no, I couldn't take her to see the Dorothy from Oz movie because Mommy just DOESN'T HAVE THE MONEY RIGHT NOW. But hey, Daddy gets a new car." She steamed. "You try telling a three and a half year old that Finn."

"Who pays for this house?" He roared. He came closer to her, so he was in her face. "Who bought you this house? That car that you're complaining about? I work hard for my fucking money, you have NO right to say anything. I provide for you...and don't you dare be putting the blame on me for you having to say no to our daughters once and awhile. It's good for them." He chuckled. "Lord knows they need to hear it once and awhile. Not like your dads did that for you, ever. I mean, you not taking the word no very well is essentially what brought us here to begin with, isn't it?" He smirked.

"Fuck you." Was all she said. She pushed her fists against his chest so he would get out of her face a little bit. He grabbed for her wrists so she would stop pushing against him. "Let go of me." She wiggled in his grasp, pulling herself back. His hands remained around her wrists.

"What, don't like it?" He bent his head, his eyes narrowing as he looked directly in her eyes. "Am I...scaring you?"

"You don't scare me. You're a coward." He tightened the grip on her wrists a little bit. "Now let me go." She struggled against his grip until he loosened and he let her go. When she'd gained control of her wrists again, she didn't move away from him right away. Instead, she wound up and slapped him across the right side of his face. "Don't you dare touch me like that again!"

"Bitch." He steamed as his hand flew to his face where she had slapped him. She backed away a few steps, still staring him down. She had been telling the truth, yes, he didn't scare her. Mainly because she knew she could take him, despite the fact that he had a good foot on her in height and easily a hundred pounds on her in weight. She knew Finn would never hurt her, at least not more than verbally. But her fight or flight instinct was strong and she wanted to put some space between her and her hulk of a husband.

They both stood there, their defensive stances on high alert. Both of them were steamed as they held each other's gaze. The groceries Rachel had just purchased were long forgotten as they both stared at each other.

"You're fucking insane, do you know that?" He spat at her, breaking the silence that had enveloped them.

"Really? REALLY?" She screeched. "Take a look in the mirror one of these days, Finnegan." He took a step closer to her, breaching the defensive stance he had held when the verbal mudslinging had started.

"I know who I am Rachel, the question is who the fuck are YOU? What have you done with my WIFE?" He snarled.

"You know who you are? Really? So you know you're a lazy, no good asshole who I wish I never married 13 fucking years ago? Really, you know that? Great. Saves me from saying it out loud then." She turned on her heel and went to leave the room, finally breaking the icy stare and thick tension that had surrounded them. She was done with this bullshit for right now. The girls would be home soon and she had to get dinner going.

"You're not the only one with regrets you know!" He called after her just as she had made it back to the hallway. "I never should have knocked you up all those years ago! Than we wouldn't be in this FUCKING MESS!" He screamed. She turned on her heel again and virtually ran at him, the fire back in her eyes.

She stopped right in front of him, her finger pointing at him with all the anger she could muster in her eyes. "You take that back right now." She slammed out. "You fucking bastard, you take that back right now..."

"No."

"You're a fucking bastard. It's fine to hate me, and fight with me and hell it's fine to regret ever getting into a relationship with me and our marriage. But you are NOT allowed to regret what led to our daughter. That is not fair to her. She's innocent. This..." She gestured between the two of them, her hands waving to indicate the tension. "is not her fault. And not because she was born or made or whatever. You are a terrible father if you think that. And the fact that you said it out loud makes it so much worse. This is our problem, our fucking mess to use your ever so colourful description. Not Sheridan's"

"It's the fucking truth." He verbally slapped. His eyes narrowed. "You can't tell me that if I hadn't knocked you up in our junior year, if you hadn't insisted on keeping the baby, that we would be here right now." A breath, a pause. "We both know this was never the game plan. Not mine, not yours and especially not your father's." He stopped again, for dramatic effect. "You and I should have never ended up here. And we only did because you couldn't give her up for adoption."

She'd always maintained that the line would be her kids. In every facet of her life, the line of how much she could take would be crossed if her kids were involved.

She couldn't believe the words she was hearing. She couldn't believe what he was saying. Sure, their fights had become increasingly heated over the last few months. But they never brought up the kids, not like this. She'd never regret her daughters. Sure, they'd both changed her life in vastly different ways, but she would never regret bringing them into the world and raising them. They were her life, she lived for her girls, fucking breathed for them. But to hear Finn voice an opinion that was so different from her own, so different from what she had thought his was? That was enough to send her into orbit. That was her line and he hadn't merely crossed it, he had jumped over it and ran passed it at lightning speed.

She stared up at him, daggers shooting out from her eyes. "Get out." Her voice was hoarse and thick as tears threatened her eyes. She wasn't sure if they were angry, sad or disappointed tears. But it was impeding her ability to speak at the moment. "Get out of my fucking house." She stammered.

He glared down at her. "Your house?" He chuckled as he extended his pointer finger to point at the center of his chest. "My house." He said with a Tarzan like voice.

"Don't tell me what to fucking do."

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE!" She roared, every maternal feeling rising to the surface. "I don't want you here anymore. I don't want to see your fucking face. So help me fucking God, GET OUT!" When he didn't move, she stepped closer. "I'll call the cops. I mean, it's surprising the neighbours haven't already. But I'll do it if it gets you out of my fucking house." He glared at her again. "I don't want to see you right now you fucking asshole."

"I don't need this shit." He looked down at her. "I don't need this bullshit from you. Go fuck yourself." He stormed out of the living room, grabbed his keys off the hook by the front door and stormed out of the house without a jacket, slamming the door behind him. It was only when she heard the engine of his car rev up and his tires squeal on the asphalt of their driveway, that she allowed herself to completely fall apart.

Sobs rocked her body, the very ones she had been struggling to keep at bay as she had kicked her husband out of the house. She dropped to her knees, falling forward onto her hands so she was in a crawling position. She hung her head down and sobbed harder than she ever had in God knows how long. What had become of her life? What had become of her? What was she going to do now?

* * *

Finn pulled his car over in front of his mother's house and cut the engine. He laid his head down on the steering wheel in front of him, hitting his forehead on the smooth surface a few times over. When had things gotten so out of control? When had he officially lost all grip on reality? When had he become the man he promised himself, his mother and Rachel, that he would never be? The most important question of all though, was how was he going to fix this? Did he want to fix it, and better yet...could he?

He didn't know what he was going to do next. He kept his forehead leaned on the steering wheel in front of him, ignoring the blaring of his cell phone from the passenger seat. He didn't have to look at the bright screen to know it was his mother calling, just by the fact that it was Mother by Pink Floyd playing from the small phone told him who it was. She probably wanted to know what he was doing outside her house for one, and why he hadn't come inside yet. He didn't know if he was ready for that inquisition yet.

A knock on his window knocked him out of his thoughts. He turned his head and looked at the figure who was standing there, his stepfather. He stood there with his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes boring through the glass.

Finn hesitated before rolling down the window.

"Are you just going to sit here looking like a loser or were you planning on coming inside any time soon?" The older man asked. Finn blew out a breath and reached to turn off the engine of the car.

"I don't really know what I'm doing." He said hesitantly. He felt so small under his step father's gaze, the bravado and courage he had had when he was screaming at his wife earlier were long gone. Whenever he was in the presence of his stepfather, and even more so his own mother, he felt like a little boy. He couldn't wait to see what they would have to say about today's situation.

He gestured for his stepfather to step back as he opened the car door and stepped out, slamming it behind him. He towered over the older man, and looked down at him.

"Let's go inside, it's freezing out here."

* * *

Rachel was just picking herself up off the floor and wiping the tears from her face as her front door banged open again. She tensed, her back was to the entrance to the living room so she couldn't tell who it is. Well, until the feet stampeded in and little arms were thrown across her waist.

"Mommy!" The little girl called as she squeezed her hands into Rachel's hip. Rachel took a deep breath and shut her eyes for a moment before looking down at her daughter with a smile on her face.

"Well hello Ms. Autumn!" She exclaimed. She bent down and picked up her daughter who wrapped her arms and legs around her immediately. She kissed her cheek.

"I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too Mommy! Uncle Blaine took me on the Bunny Hill and I did good Mommy! I didn't fall down once! Uncle Blaine felled down two times on his bum!" The little girl exclaimed, leaning back to look her mother in the eye. She placed her little hands on Rachel's cheeks as she laughed. Rachel smiled softly at her little girl as she chatted about the hot chocolate she had drank with both breakfast and lunch yesterday, as her brother-in-laws, nephew and older daughter came into the room.

"I hear you guys had a good time." She smiled as she looked at the quartet that came into the room. She could see Kurt and Blaine's eyes flying around the room, taking in the sight of the mess around them, and the paused video game that she had yet to turn off. They didn't even have to say anything, she knew what they were thinking. But she couldn't and wouldn't say anything in front of the kids. Not right now.

"We did. Contrary to how many times I fell on the bunny hill." Blaine laughed at his niece "We did have a good time."  
Rachel opened her other arm to her older daughter. The tall girl walked over to her mother and hugged her opposite side, leaning her head on Rachel's shoulder.

"And what about you Sher? Have a good time?" She nodded her head against her.

"May I be excused to go upstairs for a bit?" She asked softly. Rachel lifted her daughter's chin and eyed her suspiciously, before nodding her head.

"Autumn, why don't you and Cameron head for the playroom and find something to play with?" Rachel asked before putting her daughter down on her own feet.  
Autumn looked up at her mother and nodded before running for her four year old cousin, grabbing his hand and leading him down the stairs to the playroom.

"What's wrong with Sheridan?" Were the first words out of Rachel's mouth as soon as the younger two children were out of earshot. She looked at both of her brother-in-laws. Her mothering senses were at an all time high.

"She was fine until the drive home." Kurt shrugged as they stood in the living room. "What happened in here?" Kurt was good for changing the subject.

Rachel ignored his attempted and stared at the two men in front of her. "What happened with Sheridan?"

"She didn't tell us Rachel. She was texting with someone on the way home and her demeanor just changed. She was happy this weekend, I swear. Playing around with Autumn and Cameron and just being herself. But I'm willing to bet her changed mood has something to do with who was texting her. Call it a hunch." Blaine was always more intuitive than Kurt was, more level headed where Kurt tended to fly off the deep end sometimes with the theatricality. Somewhat like herself. Blaine was often the voice of reason.

Rachel bit her lip, forgetting about her problems for a moment and looking towards the small set of stairs that led to the three small bedrooms.  
"She'll come down when she's ready Rachel. I promise she's fine." Blaine tried to reason. She blew out a breath and gestured to the couch.

"Have a seat. Can I get you guys anything to drink?" When neither man said anything, she took a seat in the big overstuffed arm chair to the left of the couch and sighed. She decided to drop the Sheridan issue for the moment, knowing more so that Blaine was right. She would come to her when she was ready. She always did. Her bond with Sheridan was one of the things she was most proud of. Maybe it was the fact that she had been so young when Sheridan was born, but she loved how close they were. Sheridan told her everything and Rachel did her best to support her not so little girl in every way possible. They often had mother-daughter nights where they went window shopping at the mall, got frozen yogurt and cuddled in the living room watching Barbra Streisand movies until both of them fell asleep on the couch. She closed her eyes for a moment as she leaned back in the chair, trying to get her wits about her. The action didn't go unnoticed by either of the men in front of her.

"So, dare I ask where the behemoth otherwise known as my brother is at?" Kurt asked with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. Rachel bit her lip silently, looking up at the ceiling before looking back at them.

"Who knows. He could be in Kentucky already for all I know. Not that I give a damn" Her voice dropped an octave as she spoke the last few words, trying to make sure that none of the children in the house heard her.

Both Kurt and Blaine raised an eyebrow at each other before turning to Rachel. "What happened while we were gone?"

She bit her lip harder so that the tremble didn't become visible. She was trying to keep it together, trying not to crack.

"We just had an awful fight." She stammered out, looking at her hands. "And I kicked him out."

Both Blaine and Kurt's jaws dropped almost simultaneously. Sure, they both knew the Hudson's had been having problems. Big problems. But neither of them knew that it could have possibly gotten this far.

"Rachel..." Blaine stood up from the couch while Kurt finally went over to turn off the TV and came to a stop in front of her.

"What did you guys..."

"Everything. We fought about everything and anything. How we haven't had sex in God knows how long, money...that was a huge one, how we've changed. He even said..." Her hand flew to her mouth as the tears began to trickle out of her eyes again. "He even said he regretted having and keeping Sheridan. That he knew we weren't supposed to make it this far.." She swallowed hard. "It was bad guys. Really bad. He...he grabbed me and I slapped him. I don't know how and if we're going to come back from this..." She sighed, closing her eyes.

* * *

Finn sat at the table across from his mother and stepfather, the warm hot chocolate his mother had made for him encased in his fingers. They were waiting for him to say something, waiting for him to break. It was just the way they worked. They'd had many situations like this in the last 16 years between the three of them, and even more before Burt had entered the picture. It still didn't get any easier, and as he sat there trying to formulate exactly what he was going to tell his mother about what happened at his own home today, he couldn't help but allow the shame to flood his being. He'd said some awful things to Rachel, things he shouldn't have said and things that had needed to be said for years. Either way, it didn't change how he felt and he couldn't take the words back.

"So, are you just going to sit here starring dumbly at that cup of hot chocolate or are you going to tell us what brought you to our neck of the woods?" Burt leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest much like he had outside.

He looked up from his hands and looked at the clock on the wall, the second hand ticking quickly. It was that late already? Shit, the girls were probably home by now, which meant Rachel was getting a chance to tell her side of the story to Kurt and Blaine. Great.

"Finn?" His mother asked softly.

He again contemplated what to say. "I...We had a huge fight, and it escalated to the point that I may have said some things that I deeply regret..."

His mother looked at him, urging him to continue. "Surely..."

"No. Mom." He shook his head. It had been bad. "I basically..." He grunted, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table and began pulling at his hair. "I told her...in not the nicest of terms...that I wished we'd never had Sheridan."

Both his Mom and Burt sat back and stared at him, with wide eyes. Sure, having a baby in high school hadn't been the easiest feat. But they'd done it and survived. There was absolutely no truth to the words he had said both just now and to Rachel back at the house. Sheridan was his world, she'd been his little sidekick until she'd gotten to an age where it wasn't cool to hang out with your dad, no matter how young he was. But he'd been angry, and when you're angry you say things you regret. It was the one thing Finn always did, could never get right. He always hurt the ones he loved when his anger got the best of him. Maybe he should go back to kicking things when he's angry, at least chairs didn't have feelings that he could damage.

"Well, is that truly what you think Finnegan?" His mother used his full name. She only used his full name when she was angry or disappointed. He was sure this conversation could be included under both of those terms. It was where Rachel had gotten it from.

"Of course it's not true!" He slammed his fist against the table, causing his mother to jump and the cup to rattle. "She's my daughter. I could never...I mean sure in the beginning maybe I second guessed why we had kept her while we were trying to navigate high school but now? Never. She's my daughter! I would...I would do anything for her...or Autumn." He added finally. "I was just so angry, we were spewing the nastiest things at each other and it just...happened." He tried to be selective in what he said about the words they'd exchanged. He was sure they were already getting a colourful picture of the words that had been exchanged without him actually having to repeat them. A silence enveloped the trio for a few minutes, as the dust figuratively settled.

"How did the fight start?" Carole asked finally, breaking the silence.

"I...I didn't clean up the house like she asked me to while she went grocery shopping..." His voice grew timid and he dropped his gaze from his parents. Even at 32, he still felt like a little boy about to be disciplined when they sat like this.

"Well why didn't you?"

"I kind of just got into the game I was playing and time got away from me..." He held up his hand. "I know, not an excuse. I should have done what she asked. Most of it was my stuff too, aside from the kids gifts from the holidays. I...she...I just... she's always on my ass about something and I kind of just wanted a moment to myself. It was the first time the house had been quiet since winter break started."

"You're a married man Finn. A married man with children. You don't get the luxury of getting a moment to yourself unless you're sick as a dog. If you're wife asks you to do something, for the sake of all that is Holy you do it. You need to take responsibility for your life too, whether that means cleaning the house or taking out the trash or sitting through Frozen for the 8000th time, you man up and do what is asked of you even if you don't want to do it. And especially if the alternative is being lazy and playing video games." Burt said calmly, looking at his stepson. All Finn could do was nod.

"Rachel's really angry with me." He said simply, looking down at his hands again.

"Sounds like with good reason." His mother said simply. "I have every right mind to be pretty upset with you myself. I raised you better than that Finn. Now, did you leave or..."

"She kicked me out. After I said what I had about Sheridan, she said if I didn't get out of _her_ house she was going to call the cops and have them remove me. So I left and came here. I didn't really know where else to go..."

Both Carole and Burt nodded. "Well, you know you're welcome to stay here as long as you need. I just...Finn, what are you going to do?" Carole asked softly. Her expression had gone from angry and confused to now soft and concerned.

"I..." He looked up at the ceiling and then back down at his parents. "I don't know. I just...I don't fucking know." He ran his fingers through his hair, and pulled at it like he had earlier. "But I don't know if we're going to be okay. This has been going on for months and today's fight just kind blew the roof off of everything I've been feeling and I'm not sure I'm going to be able to fix it."

"Everything is fixable Finn. You both just need space and time to heal..."

"You didn't see her Mom. She always said that if it came down to the kids or me she would without hesitation pick the kids. And I don't blame her. I mean, look at me? I'm such an asshole. I'd want to leave me too..." He felt his anger rising once again, as his thoughts dragged back to the situation at home. All he was thankful for at the moment was that his girls hadn't been home.

"Hey! No one is leaving anyone right now Finn." Burt cut him off. "You just need to try..."

Finn scoffed. "I'm sick of trying. I've spent the last almost 14 years trying, 17 if you count when we first started dating. Maybe it's time to realize that maybe this wasn't meant to last."

* * *

**Well? Do you hate me?**


	2. Even When The Waves Get Rough

**Thank you all for the amazing response! I've had numerous reviews asking if there's going to be a happy ending. I'm not going to say no, but I'm also going to say that it isn't going to happen immediately. It's going to be a bumpy ride for Finn and Rachel and their family.**

**Whenever I'm writing I tend to make a playlist of songs that I think will help contribute to the ideas or have something to do with the theme of the story. Some that are on the playlist for this story are:**

**Just Give Me A Reason - Pink & Nate Ruse**  
**Gone Tonight - Lea Michele**  
**Love The Way You Lie - Eminem & Rihanna**  
**Don't Speak - Glee version**  
**Shadow of A Man - Bonnie Dune**  
**Keep Me - Bonnie Dune**  
**Battleships - Daughtry**  
**I'll Fight - Daughtry**  
**Battlefield - Lea Michele**  
**Cue The Rain - Lea Michele**  
**Young Volcanoes - Fall Out Boy**

**And that's just some!**

**Anyways - I don't own anyone owned by glee, just the original characters and plot.**

* * *

**Chapter 2: January 2027**

Kurt and Blaine had insisted on ordering in dinner, not allowing Rachel to lift a finger. She appreciated the gesture, because as she sat on the couch once again going over the events of the fight in the lowest of tones, she could barely bring herself to remember to breathe. The words that had been shared just continued to turn over and over in her mind. Every. single. ugly. word that had both spewed from her lips and met her ears. She could feel Kurt and Blaine's sympathetic looks on her as they sat there together, the only sound coming from the basement, the laughter of Cameron and Autumn travelling up the stairs and filling the main level. They could also hear the faint sounds of music coming from the back of the house. It was loud enough to determine that there was music playing, but not loud enough to determine what Sheridan was listening to.

"What am I going to do?" She asked softly as she sat up a little more on the couch, playing with her wedding ring on her finger. She sniffled and looked over at her brother-in-laws. "I don't know what to do right now."

"There's nothing saying you have to know what to do right now." Blaine said softly.

She leaned her elbows onto her knees and held her head in her hands, lacing her fingers in her hair.

"I just..." She groaned. "You should have heard him, should have seen his face. I've never seen him so angry in our entire relationship. And I did nothing to stop it, nothing to diffuse the situation. All I did was make it completely worse. What if I had..."

Kurt cut her off. "You cannot blame this on yourself. Not all of this falls to you." She looked at him with tear-rimmed eyes.

"Want to know what I think?" Blaine said softly.

"Of course." She looked up and slapped her hands against her thighs. She took a deep breath to bite back the tears.

"I think you guys need some time apart. Some time to breathe, recover from the fight and maybe just orient yourselves. Maybe some time apart will help give you both some clarity. It doesn't have to be a lot of time, maybe just so you can get your anger and other feelings under control." Rachel nodded at his words. If she was being honest, it was probably the best answer to their situation at the moment.

She smiled softly at her brother-in-law. "When did you get so smart?"

"Ah, you know they pay me the big bucks to dig deep." He chuckled. Blaine was a family therapist. "But I won't charge you. You know, family discount and all"

Rachel chuckled.

A creak on the small set of stairs alerted the three adults to another presence.  
"Mom, when are we having dinner?" Sheridan asked as she came to sit on the couch beside her mother, leaning her head against Rachel's shoulder.

"Uncle Kurt ordered Chinese, it should be here soon." She kissed her head. Sheridan sighed and leaned more into her mother just as the doorbell rang. Blaine stood up to go and answer the door.

"My purse is on the table..." Rachel called behind him. Blaine waved his hand behind him, already reaching for his wallet in his back pocket.

"I'll go wrangle the toddlers." Kurt smiled, standing up from his spot on the opposite love seat. Rachel nodded, bringing her hand up to play with Sheridan's long dark hair.

"You okay?" She asked softly, looking at her daughter.

"Just drama. It's nothing really." Sheridan said softly.

"Obviously it's something if it's got you this upset." Rachel whispered as they heard the stampeding of feet coming up the stairs.

"I don't really want to talk about it around Uncle Blaine and Uncle Kurt, can we talk when they leave?"

Rachel gave her daughter a small smile. "Of course baby." Sheridan nodded and let Rachel give her a small hug before standing up to head to the kitchen as Blaine called that dinner was served. Rachel was nearly taken out by the stampeding of her younger daughter and nephew.

"Wow there little one." She smiled, grabbing her daughter and bringing her over to the sink in the kitchen. "First we wash our hands." Autumn giggled in Rachel's arms as she reached for the tap.

* * *

"I didn't raise you to be a quitter, Finnegan." Carole said softly as she looked at her son intently.

He fisted his hair in his hands before bringing one of them down to slam against the table.

"Don't you think I know that?" He growled a little bit looking at his mother. "Cause I want my marriage to fail?" He pulled at his hair again. "Do you think this is what I wanted for my life?" He slammed his fist against the table. "For my FAMILY? Fuck" He slammed his fist again, and this time his mother jumped almost out of her skin.

"I think you need to watch your tone." Burt ordered. "Just because you're in a bad place right now, does not mean you need to take it out on me or your mother."

"I don't think I need to take this." He stood up quickly, the chair he was sitting on falling backwards and clanging against the floor. Burt was on his feet and clapped Finn around his shoulder.

"I think you need to take a walk Finn." Burt put his weight behind Finn and forcefully escorted him to the door. "Take a walk, a drive, whatever and come back when you're cooled down."

"Whatever. I don't need this." Finn walked out of the house, his fists clenched at his sides. He shoved his hands in his pockets and stomped away from the house that had once been his safety net. He couldn't be there right now, just like he couldn't be at home. He didn't know what to do with himself, he couldn't even go to his parents house at the moment. They didn't even want him around them right now. With good reason, he couldn't even stand to be in his own head as it was.

As he walked with his hands stuffed in his pockets, the words that were slung during the fight filled his mind. He couldn't believe some of the things had passed his lips, some of things that had reached his ears. Had he really said to her that he wished Sheridan wasn't theirs anymore? That he had wished they never had her? Did he really say that if it wasn't for Sheridan, he wouldn't be able to stand her, he wouldn't be married to Rachel? Did he REALLY have to fucking say that? He was more angry with himself now and as he walked his steps got harder and the strides longer. The name calling and harsh words just kept ringing through his head and as they kept replaying, the anger in him kept ebbing and flowing. Moments he felt angry with the things she had said to him, moments he felt the utmost regret for the things he had said to her. So he walked, he walked until for some reason he landed on Puck's doorstep. And before he could even think it through, he knocked on the door.

"Wow, Huddy, what's up?" The door swung open and Puck stood there, his arms across his chest. "Wasn't expecting to see you here..."

"Can I come in, douchebag?" Finn tapped his foot. "It's kind of fucking cold out here."

"Alright, alright. Sure." He opened the door wider and let Finn into the small house.

"Whose at the do..." Puck's wife, Quinn stopped in the entry way to the hallway, her voice catching when she heard Finn's voice.

"Oh hi Finn." Finn nodded his head at Quinn as he toed off his shoes.

"Sorry for interrupting."

Quinn waved her hand at the pair. "No worries. Just don't get too out of hand. The baby is sleeping."

Both of the men nodded. Puck led Finn down the hallway, kissing Quinn's cheek as they past and led Finn down to the rec room, his man cave.

"Do I even want to know?" Puck asked as he went to the bar fridge and grabbed two beers before heading over to where Finn had sat himself down on the couch.

He handed one to him before sitting down on the leather recliner and opening his own.

Finn took a long pull of the beer Puck had handed him before looking at his best friend. He shook his head and placed the beer on the table in front of him.

"Am I putting you up for the night? Cause I gotta let Q know then..." He reached for the remote and clicked on the flat screen TV before grabbing for the Xbox remote to the do the same with the console. Finn shrugged.

"I just want to blow some shit up, and drink, alright?"

Puck gave his friend a sideways look. "Alright. But if there's something I need to know..."

"Just shut up and play"

* * *

Rachel closed the door behind Kurt, Blaine and Cameron and leaned against the cool wood. She closed her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair. She sighed and just breathed in for a moment, taking in the relative silence that had enveloped her house. She squished her eyes closed more as tears began to resurface in her eyes.

"Mom?" She swallowed hard and opened her eyes when she saw Sheridan standing at the small set of stairs that led to the small bedrooms.

"Yeah honey?" She smiled softly at her daughter.

"Are they gone?"

Rachel nodded and pushed her body off the front door and walked towards her daughter. "Yeah. They said to tell you bye. And that they love you." Rachel smiled a little at her daughter. She opened her arms and allowed Sheridan to come to her, wrapping her arms around her. Sheridan smiled a little bit as she leaned into her mother. Rachel kissed her head just as Autumn came bursting down the stairs.

"MOMMY! I'm ready for B-ED!" She called as she skidded in front of her mother and sister. Sheridan pulled away from her and headed into the living room. Rachel heard the TV click on as she grabbed for her younger daughter, swinging her onto her hip.

"You're ready for bed, are you?" She tickled her sides for a moment as she walked back to the stairs towards the bedrooms.

"Yeah! I brushed my teeths, see!" She leaned over so Rachel could peer into her mouth. She was assaulted with the smell of the strawberry Princess toothpaste she had used.

"You did, I can see that!" She smiled a little bit looking at her daughter as she walked into her little bedroom and dropped her on her bed. The little girl giggled and looked up at Rachel with her wide amber eyes.

"Alright, what book are we reading tonight?" Rachel asked as she plopped down on the twin bed beside Autumn.

"How about Green Eggs and Ham, Mama?" Autumn turned on her side and reached for the book on her side table, before handing it to Rachel.

"Alright, Green Eggs and Ham it is." Rachel opened the book and began to read "Do you like  
green eggs and ham? I do not like them, Sam-I-am. I do not like green eggs and ham" She smiled when Autumn giggled at the rhyme the story started off with. Green Eggs and Ham had been one of her favourites as a child, and from the moment she had become a mother herself she had vowed to instill the same love of reading and books into her own children. She liked to think she had been successful. The book had been Autumn's favourite as of late and Rachel had been reading it to her on a nightly basis. And now more than ever with the changes that she was sure were about to happen in her household, Rachel wanted to keep things as normal as possible. If it was at all possible, she could only hope.

She finished the book and sat it on the side table beside her, before turning to Autumn who looked up at her with a sleepy smile on her face. Rachel moved off the bed and knelt beside it as Autumn snuggled deeper into the blanket that Rachel had covered her with.

"I love you Autumn. Sleep tight baby girl."

"I love you Mommy." She smiled at Rachel as she bent to kiss her head. Rachel stood up and went to leave the small bedroom, turning on the small night light as she went.

"Mommy?" She called from her bed. Rachel turned around and looked at her little girl, her hand poised on the switch to the overhead light.

"Yes baby?"

"Where's Daddy?" She asked softly. Rachel gave her daughter a small smile.

"He's with Uncle Puck." She said simply and quickly. She tried to divert the conversation before Autumn could ask anything further. "Get a good sleep baby girl, I love you."

Autumn nodded, snuggling into her pillow again. Rachel watched her for a second before turning off the light as she left the room. She closed the door a little bit behind her, before going back down to the living room to see Sheridan.

She found her older daughter sitting on the couch, glaring at her cell phone that was on the table in front of her. Rachel could see the blinking light at the top of the Blackberry, alerting Sheridan that she had an unread message. She bit her lip, figuring the incoming message might have something to do with her daughter's mood.

"I'm going to get a drink, do you want anything honey?"

Sheridan turned to look at her mother before turning her attention back to at her phone with a menacing stare.

"No, I'm alright Mom." Rachel nodded and walked into the kitchen to grab herself a glass of water before returning to her daughter. She came to sit down on the couch beside her, and curled her legs under herself as she got comfortable.

"Want to tell me what's got you so upset now?" Rachel asked as she took a sip of her water before placing it on the table beside her. She looked over at Sheridan.

"Sher?"

She watched as her daughter played with her fingers, just as the phone buzzed against the table again, the message popping up on the screen. All Rachel could see from her point of view was that it was from Sheridan's best friend Molly.

"You going to answer that?" Rachel nodded at the phone. Sheridan shook her head no.

"Why not? You've been attached to that thing from the moment Dad and I got it for you this summer." Rachel chuckled softly. Sheridan leaned into her mother and laid her head on her shoulder. "Sher, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's got you so upset."

Sheridan took after Finn in that regard, keeping her emotions bottled. It was something that had always bothered Rachel, not only about Sheridan but Finn as well. Of all the things for Sheridan to inherit from her father, this was by far the worst trait. Rachel constantly worried about her, and if the fight her and Finn had had was any indication of how badly this trait could affect someone, she had every right to worry about her daughter. And her husband if she was truthful. She would always worry about her husband.

She heard Sheridan sigh loudly, continuing to play with her fingers. She would open up eventually, it would just have to be on her own terms.  
"Molly went out to the movies this weekend while I was gone." She mumbled into Rachel's shoulder.

"Okay, and that's a big deal because...did she see a movie you guys were supposed to see together?" Sheridan shook her head again and buried her head more into Rachel's side. "Than what is it Sheridan? What's the problem with her going to the movies?"

"She went out with Jackson, alright?" She grumbled. "She went to the movies with Jackson Myer, and she KNEW I liked him." Sheridan sat up and crossed her arms over her chest. "She knew I liked him but he asked HER to go and she said yes. And ugh...just...ugh."

"Well I'm sure it was..."

"They held hands and everything."

Rachel's mouth fell to a small O. Now they were really getting to the bottom of it. Molly was moving in on her crush. Or vice versa. Either way, Sheridan didn't really like it. But it really wasn't her fault.

"It's not fair Mom." She leaned into Rachel again, this time allowing Rachel's arm to come around her to comfort her. "I really liked him..."

"I know baby." She kissed Sheridan's head. "And it must really suck to see him or hear about him being with someone else. Especially when that someone else is your best friend." Rachel brushed the hair out of her eyes. Sheridan looked up at her. "But I do know that you will have other crushes baby. You're only 15"

"Weren't you 15 when you met Dad, Mom?" She asked softly.

Rachel nodded slowly. "But that's different. We were different."

Sheridan eyed her mother suspiciously for a moment. Rachel could see what she was thinking. Or she thought she knew what she was thinking. She didn't want to get into her and Finn's history tonight, at all. Not after the events of the day.

"So what are you going to do about Molly and Jackson?" She asked, bringing the conversation back to Sheridan. "I mean, you can't hide from Molly forever Sher. She is your best friend."

"I know Mom. Is it wrong that I just...want to hide from the world for awhile?"

Rachel gave her daughter a soft smile. She did know that feeling, and today of all days she knew that feeling well. But she also knew that life still went on around you, even when you didn't want it to. And while her best friend and her crush hanging out together may not seem like the biggest thing in the world, especially considering the state of her marriage, Rachel knew it was a big deal to her daughter.

"It is okay. And it will be okay. I promise." Rachel kissed her head before patting her knee softly. "And what happens when I promise?"

"It almost always comes true." Sheridan smiled. "Thanks Mommy."

"Not a problem Honey. Any time, you know that." Sheridan smiled again. They were quiet then, both of them just soaking in the simple conversation they'd had, both lost in their own thoughts.

"Hey Mom?" Sheridan asked as she stood up. She looked down at her mother.

"Yeah?"

"Where's Dad?"

Rachel looked up at her daughter. She should have known that both of her daughters would notice their father's absence.

"He's out with Uncle Puck." She said simply. It wasn't a total truth, not a total lie either. She was sure her husband's crazy best friend had entered the equation at some point today. She didn't doubt Finn hadn't headed over there straight from here.

Sheridan chewed her lip for a moment, continuing to look down at her mother.

Rachel was aware that Sheridan wasn't stupid. She was a smart girl, had been from the moment she'd rocked her world 15 years ago. But she couldn't help but want to protect her from every upset in the world. And that included hiding the truth about her father's whereabouts, and even further extended to what was going on between her and Finn. She knew more than anyone that childhood was precious and she didn't want to tarnish that for either of her daughters, ever. Her own had changed so drastically in the blink of an eye, and while she wouldn't dare change a thing about the past 15 years, she was going to do her damnedest to shelter her kids as much as possible. But like she said, she knew her daughter knew more than she let on. Sheridan had always been observant, and while they had done their best over the past few months to hide the fighting from both the girls, there was only so much that was able to be hidden. She was sure that Sheridan had noticed the tension, some of the more intense stare downs between her and Finn. Didn't mean she was going to saddle her 15 year old daughter with the responsibility of her adult problems.

"Alright." Sheridan sighed and picked her phone up off the table. "I should get to bed. It's late and unfortunately we have school tomorrow."

"I love you honey."

"I love you too Mom." Sheridan leaned down to hug Rachel before she headed for the stairs. Rachel watched her go before leaning her elbows down onto her knees, bringing her face to her hands. She rubbed her face tiredly, massaging her temples deeply just as she heard the sound of a key in the lock of the front door. She immediately got to her feet and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. She knew who was on the other side of the door, there was only one other person who had a key to their house. She just wasn't sure she was ready to see him.

* * *

He just wanted some clothes. He just wanted to get some of his shit, and leave. He'd phoned his Mom, who had said if he was in a decent mood the offer to stay in their guest room (well, what had once been his bedroom) was still on the table. But he had to work tomorrow, and couldn't go to work in the clothes he was wearing. That just, well that wouldn't be good, now would it? Sweatpants and a hoodie were not work appropriate, by any stretch of the imagination.

So why was it so hard for him to just get out of the damn car and go inside? It was his house for God's sake. That was his family inside. But still he sat in the driveway, staring at the garage door and trying to work up the courage to just go inside and pack his bag. He gave it a few more minutes before he finally pulled his keys out of the ignition, the car long turned off and went for the handle of the door. He blew out a breath and ran his hand through his hair before he made his way up to the front door of his house. He braced himself for whatever firestorm would be coming his way on the other side of the door. He hoped he'd be able to do this peacefully, he could only assume the girls were home and he really didn't want an eruption to happen in front of them. Not that he really wanted another eruption at all.

He unlocked the door slowly and opened it. He was immediately met with a tidied entry way. Obviously Rachel, or someone had tidied up a little bit after he left. When he walked more into the house, he noticed the lights off in the kitchen and dining room. The only light on the main floor was the light coming from the TV and the small lamp beside the couch.

He didn't notice her at first, standing there at the entry way to the living room with her arms crossed over her chest. He stopped a few paces away from her, and just looked at her.

"You have a lot of nerve coming home like this." She said softly. He didn't hear the fight in her voice like he had heard earlier. He didn't hear the venom, and he heard resignation, defeat. With even a touch of sadness, though he wasn't one hundred percent about that one.

"I'm just here for clothes Rachel." He said simply. He tried to keep the harshness out of his voice, tried to just keep it civil. He really didn't want to fight.

They looked at each other, both just waiting for the other to say something. He could almost hear the clock tick in his mind. Seconds turned to minutes as they stood there in silence, looking at each other.

"Where are you staying?" She asked quietly, biting her lip. He knew she would ask. A part of him hoped it was because she cared, another part knew she was only asking so she knew where to find him.

"At my parents." He turned on his heel and headed down the hallway that was the main artery of the house. He mounted the few small steps that led to the bedrooms of their small house. She didn't follow him, and he was relieved. He walked down the hallway as quietly as he could, trying not to make his presence known upstairs. He walked by Autumn's room and pushed her door open slightly, wincing when it squeaked. Damn that squeak, he was probably supposed to take care of that. Fuck. Another way he had failed. When she didn't move a muscle in her sleep, he crept in quietly and placed a kiss on her head before escaping out of her room quickly. He headed across the hallway to his bedroom, finding a duffel bag in the closet and going through his closet to find some clean work clothes. He didn't know how much to pack, deciding quickly that more was probably better so he didn't have to face this kind of confrontation again, not that it was much of a confrontation. When he'd finished gathering his things, he left the bedroom with his bag slung over his shoulder. He stopped in the hallway when he faced Sheridan's door. There was no light coming from under the crack of her door. He made a move to knock softly on the door.

"She's probably still awake." He heard her soft voice say behind him. He turned to find her just at the top of the stairs. "She didn't go to bed too long ago."

"So what are you saying Rachel? I just wanted to say goodnight..." She crossed her arms over her chest. He didn't try to hide the irritation in his voice. He steeled himself. He didn't want to fight but if she was going to get on his ass...

"I'm just saying you might want to knock. She's probably not asleep just yet."

"I was going to knock." He grated as he gave her an intense stare. She just looked at him.

He heard her sigh, and knew she was watching him as he knocked on the door. He could feel her eyes on him. When he didn't get a response, he opened the door slowly and peeked inside. Sheridan was all cuddled up under her comforter. He noticed the blinking light on her cell phone from where he stood before he moved closer to her and pressed a kiss to her hair lightly.

"I love you Sheridan" He whispered against her hair. She grumbled in her sleep and he backed away quickly, hoping he hadn't woken her up. She was a light sleeper, just like her mother. He made it safely back to the door of the room before blowing her another kiss and leaving the room. He hoped she knew how much he loved her. Autumn too.

Rachel was gone from the hallway, and he took this as his moment to leave the house, making sure to lock the door behind him. He made it out to his car, throwing his bag into the passenger seat beside him before he moved to put the key into the ignition. He leaned his head on the steering wheel, taking a deep breath before putting the car in reverse and backing out of the driveway. This was a lot harder than he had anticipated. But it was what had to happen. They couldn't live like this anymore.

She stood with her back against her own bedroom door as she heard him creep down the small set of stairs and inevitably head for the front door. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, the tears prickling the corners of her eyes, pushing to come forth. She bit her lip, trying not to sob as she rested her head against the door but it was really no use. The sob that came forward racked her entire body. She threw herself on her bed which wasn't very far from where she was standing and allowed herself to succumb to the sobs that were making their way up to the surface. She only hoped the girls couldn't hear her. She didn't need the girls to hear her. She hauled her body up further on the bed, burying her head in her pillow as the tears began to wane. They dulled to small hiccups as she laid there. She brought her bottom lip in between her teeth as she tried to gain control on herself for a moment. She squeezed her eyes shut to try and soak up the tears. She blew out a breath as she stared across the room at the window, where the street light was slowly coming through the blinds. She rolled over and turned the other way, facing away from the window and Finn's side of the bed. She sighed when she realized she was still dressed, but didn't want to move to change. Her lip trembled at the thought and she fought valiantly against the tears. She didn't want to cry anymore. But it hurt too much not to. Her life was slowly shattering around her.


	3. Don't Say We've Had Enough

**Well, I guess I should start by saying thank you, thank you, thank for all the follows, favourites and reviews! It truly means a lot to me that so many of you have chosen at the very least to give this story a chance! I know it's hard to read, because really it sucks what I'm doing to our beloved Finchel, but just stick with me, alright? I don't want to give anything away but I'll just say it'll be alright. How long it takes to be okay is left to be determined. Please keep reviewing, it lets me know how I'm doing...and like Rachel said, "I'm like tinkerbell, I need applause to live!"**

**Anyways, as always I don't own Finn, Rachel or any other gLee character that appears. I only own Sheridan, Autumn and any other original characters. Also, the plot.**

**Here's chapter three! Enjoy it, review it!**

* * *

**Chapter 3: January 2027**

She'd been going through the motions for the last few days. Getting up, getting herself ready for the day before getting the girls going with breakfast and lunches. She hadn't heard from Finn since the night of their huge fight when he'd come to the house to get his stuff. She didn't try to get in contact with him either, she'd taken Blaine's advice to heart and was trying to stay away. Her mind was still foggy and her emotions were still a little unhinged. She knew talking to him, or trying to at least would only cause her heart to plummet deeper.

That didn't make it hurt any less. She felt like a limb was missing. While he pissed her off to no end and was sometimes more of a hindrance than a help, he was still her husband and she had come to depend on him in many ways throughout the years. Like the way he would get the girls breakfast while she got ready, or the fact that he would drop Sheridan at the high school while he was on his way to the middle school. Rachel would take Autumn to her pre-school on her way to her office. Now she had to do it all.

Monday had been a little chaotic, but they had done it. Everyone had gotten off to school and she had gotten to the office with minimal fuss, but once she had gotten to her office she had closed the door and laid her head on her desk. Her emotions really were all over the place, and the questions she had endured from Autumn were enough to make herself crazy. She'd tried to keep her answers brief, as all of the questions had been about Finn and his whereabouts, when she would see her Daddy again. She hadn't known what to say, her bravado with the fabricated truth from the night before had left.  
She knew Sheridan knew something was up. That night at dinner, a hastily put together cacophony of spaghetti and vegan meatballs (frozen, not homemade) she'd shot her looks when Rachel had explained that Daddy was working late. She knew Sheridan knew. She wasn't dumb. It was weird to herself that Finn wasn't there with them, no matter what the reason, so she could only assume it was ten times worse for the girls.

But she'd gotten through it.

And now she had to do it again.

She'd set her alarm a little earlier today, learning yesterday that if she just gave herself 15 more minutes she wouldn't feel so insane. Tuesday had gone better than Monday, and she was determined that today, Wednesday was going to go better than the other two put together.

Except it was production day at work.

Rachel hated production days.

She was a reporter for the Lima Gazette, and most of the time she adored her job. Just not on production days. So when her alarm went off at 6:30, she groaned and hit the snooze button. She sat up in bed and rubbed her swollen eyes. She'd fallen asleep last night with tears in her eyes. She sighed, feeling the burn of unshed tears. She wondered when this feeling was going to end.

She was just sliding off the bed, her feet about to touch the floor when her phone buzzed on the nightstand. She groaned inwardly, figuring it was her co-worker wondering if she wanted a coffee that morning or something as mundane as that.

She gasped when she saw it was Finn. She bit her lip as she looked at the screen, trying to decide if she should read the text or not. Against her better judgement, figuring it was just a text begging for forgiveness, she swiped her thumb across the alert and opened the message.

_We need to talk_ was all the message read.

That wasn't what she expected. How was she supposed to respond to that? She blinked a few times, trying to decide what to say. What do you say to the man who hurt you? The man who, at that moment had repeatedly broken your heart? She dug her teeth into her lip a little harder.

_We do_. It was all she could come up with. It was true, they did need to talk. Didn't mean she was ready to talk about what had happened. She was merely agreeing with him. Make him work for it a little bit.

_Can we have coffee...tonight? _

She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair while she held her phone in her other hand. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to answer that. She didn't know what she wanted the answer to be. Did she want to have coffee with him? Did she want to go down this road, with her still raw emotions and unhinged feelings? She didn't have a response.

* * *

The first thing he did that morning, when he woke up in his parents spare bedroom for the third morning in a row, was text Rachel. He didn't know what kind of response he was expecting, when all he had written was that they needed to talk. Which was the truth. They did need to talk. It had been three days since their marriage had imploded and he felt like now was right. Now they could discuss what had happened between them. He just didn't know how receptive to this she would be.

He knew Rachel. He knew her like the back of his own hand, almost better than he knew himself. If he was being honest he probably did know her better than he knew himself. He was a stranger even to himself. He'd seen her Sunday night, when he'd gone to get clothes for the week. He'd seen how broken down and emotional she had looked. And it had hit him hard, because he knew he was the person who had put that look there. He'd been the one who had first destroyed her world all of those years ago, and then again three nights ago.

That's why he knew they had to talk. They couldn't go on like this. He had had time to talk about it with his parents, even with Puck who seemed well versed in the dissolution of relationships. He'd talked to them about what they thought he should do, what they thought should happen. He'd talked to them because he needed help. He wasn't sure what to do. All he knew was that he had hurt his wife in the worst possible way emotionally, and had been doing so for months. And it had to stop. He had to talk to her because now he knew, they couldn't go on like this. Something had to change between the two of them because this nonsense had to stop. They had to change something, because if they kept hurting each other like this, if he kept hurting her like this someone more valuable was going to end up destroyed - their girls.

He sighed when he thought about his daughters. The last two mornings had been brutal for him. Mornings were usually the one time when he really participated in the day to day functions of his home, mornings were his time to really bond with them. He got them breakfast, and then once everything was settled he got to spend one on one time with Sheridan as he drove her to school. He'd missed her quiet chatter the last two mornings and he was sure this one was going to be more of the same. Yesterday he'd actually changed it to the radio station she liked to listen to just to get his mind to stop spinning.

So when all she'd written back was the two simple words _we do_ to his text, he couldn't help but feel a little disheartened. That was all he got back? He didn't know what he was expecting her to say in return, he'd been a huge asshole to her but knowing his wife like he did, he would be wrong to say he had expected more than that in return. It seemed like she was going to make him work for it.

He offered a time and waited for her to respond. He set his phone down and moved to get dressed for work, before grabbing the device again and heading downstairs to grab some breakfast. The house was quiet, his Mom had retired and Burt had taken a more administrative role at the Garage he owned. Mornings were a lot quieter here and it was something Finn didn't think he would ever get used to.

His phone buzzed from the counter just as he was setting up the coffee machine to brew himself a cup.

_I guess so. After dinner? It'll be a late dinner, it's production day and Sheridan has Glee club and I'll need her to stay with Autumn. _

He should have remembered that Wednesday's were Glee club days. They were the height of chaos at his house usually. Now that he remembered, he felt stupid for asking her tonight. Another point in the Finn Hudson is an asshole column.

_After dinner is fine. How about like 8? _He wrote back. Her response was quicker this time. _8 works. Lima Bean?_

_Sure. See you then_.

He threw his phone on the counter and set about mixing his coffee. Well, at least it was a step in the right direction.

She sighed when she clicked the home button on her phone and tossed it back on the bed. She laid back on the mattress and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.  
She was seeing him tonight. She felt like that was just going to add to stress to an already stressful day. So like Finn to complicate an already complicated situation. She shook her head of the thoughts. She was as much responsible. She could have said no. She knew deep inside that the talk was inevitable, was something she had to do. Something that she needed to do for her family. If not for her, for her girls. She owed them some answers and this was the best way to start at getting them.

She got dressed quickly, a pair of black slacks and a light blue blouse. She didn't have any assignments today, she just had production to deal with so she opted for flats instead of her heels and a low slung ponytail in her hair. She left the room to go and get the girls up and settled before she went to put her makeup on.  
Sheridan was hard to wake up in the morning. She may be a light sleeper like herself, but was she ever a grouch in the morning like her father. She started with her and gently shook her awake, turning the light on as she went. She heard Sheridan grumbling under her blanket and she sighed as she left the room. She crossed to Autumn's room and opened the door, smiling at the sight of her little girl wrapped in her blanket. She slowly walked over to the bed and sat down beside her, running her fingers through her daughters light brown hair to wake her up. Autumn's amber eyes flitted open and smiled when she saw her mother.

"Morning Mommy." She smiled. Rachel couldn't help but smile back at her daughter. She kissed her head as she looked at her for a moment before getting up and fetching clothes for her pre-schooler to wear. She left her to get dressed, double checked that Sheridan was making some sort of progress on her day before going to the bathroom to throw on some make-up before going downstairs. She'd gotten their lunches prepared the night before, and only had to add sandwiches to complete them. She was just finishing when she heard Sheridan come into the room.

"What can I get you for breakfast Sher?" She tried to smile at her daughter. She didn't miss the grumpy look in her eyes.

"Just a granola bar. Not that hungry today." Rachel eyed her daughter and put down the mug she had been holding in her hand. She walked over to her and pressed her hand to her forehead. She wasn't warm.

"You alright?'

"Yeah. Just not really hungry." She shrugged. Rachel eyed her again. Than it clicked. It was Wednesday, and Sheridan had Glee club after school.

With Molly and Jackson.

"Is this about..." Rachel trailed off just as Autumn bounded into the room.

"Can I have cereal for breakfast, puh-lease?" Autumn asked as she climbed into her chair across from Sheridan. Rachel didn't miss her rolling her eyes.

"Of course." She turned to the counter and looked at Sheridan.

"Yeah, I have to see them today." She sighed. Rachel gave her a half smile. She knew that feeling.

After she set the bowl of cheerios in front of Autumn and she was sufficiently distracted, Rachel went over to Sheridan.

"It'll be okay. Just don't let it get to you and it'll be fine." Sheridan looked at her mother with an 'as if' look on her face but tried to smile nonetheless. "Listen, I have to go out tonight after dinner, do you think you can you stay with Autumn for me? I won't be leaving until about 8..."

"Where are you going?" Autumn interrupted as she swung her legs back and forth under her chair. "Why can't we come Mommy?"

Rachel looked at Autumn and blew out a breath. "Where I'm going is not for kids." She said simply. Sheridan gave her a look, not quite believing her.

"So can you, Sheridan?"

"Where else would I go Mom, it's a school night." She mumbled. Rachel sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "But yes, I'll stay with the munchkin so you can go do whatever it is you need to do."

"Thank you".

* * *

From the moment he got home from work, Finn watched the clock. He'd stayed late after hours to meet with the parents of one of his students that he was concerned about, not going back to his parents house immediately after that. He'd gotten some marking done and tidied some things in his room before heading out.

His mother had dinner on the table when he walked in, and he tried to show her how appreciative he was. They didn't have to put up with his nonsense all the time, they didn't have to catch him when he fucked up. But they always did. For that he would probably always be eternally grateful.

"Have you heard from Rachel at all?" Carole asked as she cut her piece of chicken with her knife. Finn looked down at his plate and then up at his mother. He chewed on the piece of chicken he had in his mouth and swallowed before answering her.

"I actually talked to her this morning." He said softly. He saw his mother drop her wrists against the table and looked at him intently. Her look told him to go on.  
"I asked her to go out for coffee tonight. To talk."

Both Burt and Carole stared at him for a minute. Burt spoke first. "Do you think that's a good idea?"

Finn could only shrug. "I don't know. I don't know anything. All I really know is that I feel like we're living in limbo." He dropped his fork against the table and looked at his parents. "I just...I need to deal with this, and talking to her might be the first step."

"I can appreciate that" Burt nodded, looking over at Carole. She nodded in agreement as well.

They didn't say anything else to him about Rachel or the girls during dinner. Which was good, because he didn't really want to talk the situation to death. He knew what he had to do, knew what he had to say. He'd had a lot of time to think the last few nights while he had been holed up here. He just hoped he could do it without his emotions, good or bad, getting in the way.

He offered to do the dishes when they'd finished with dinner, and after his mother had given him a suspicious look she'd agreed and said thank you, retiring to the living room to watch television with Burt.

When he finished, he steeled himself when he saw the time. It was almost 7:30, and he decided it was time to clean up and get ready to meet Rachel. He dressed carefully, choosing a pair of dark denim coloured jeans and a navy, white and red plaid shirt with the sleeves pushed up to above his elbows. When he was satisfied with his appearance after fixing his hair, he blew out a breath. He had to get going. It was now or never.

* * *

Apparently she was destined to have a bad day today. Her managing editor hadn't been happy with a story she'd wrote about some groundbreaking ceremony and she had to spend the good part of her morning rewriting it over, and over until it was perfect. She'd worked through her lunch so she could get out at a decent time and get to the pre-school to pick up Autumn. When she got there, her teacher Ms. Stephanie had told Rachel that Autumn had had a pretty rough day, that culminated in an accident. Rachel was floored, as Autumn had been potty trained since she was 2, and hadn't had an accident in she didn't know how long. She pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes as Autumn bounded over to her in her spare pants, her amber eyes wide and a small smile on the little girls face.

"What happened Autumn?" Rachel asked softly as she picked the little girl up. She immediately wrapped her legs around Rachel's waist.

"Don't know Mama." She whispered. Rachel kissed her forehead and waved bye to Autumn's teacher before going to her cubby to help her into her jacket and boots. She took her outside to the car and got her settled in her car seat before getting into her own. She sighed before she turned the car on, giving herself a minute to collect her thoughts.

"Well, we have to stop at the grocery store and grab something for dinner before we pick up Sheridan. What do you say Autumn?" She looked in the mirror and Autumn grinned back at her. Rachel gave her a little smile before heading for the grocery store to pick up some fresh veggies for the chicken tacos she was making tonight.

They were in and out of the grocery store quickly, and had made it back to the high school in time to pick up Sheridan. They had to wait a few minutes, but when Sheridan came out of the high school she had a huge smile on her face.

"Well hello there." Rachel smiled as the girl climbed into the car. "That's quite the change from the Sheridan Berry-Hudson I saw this morning."

"You'll never guess what happened in glee!" She squealed, clicking in her seat belt.

Rachel turned to her daughter and smiled. "What's that?"

"Mr. Schuster gave me a solo!" She exclaimed, the giddy smile not leaving her face.

"Oh Sher, that's amazing!" Rachel beamed at her daughter. "What song?"

"That's the thing. I have a few to choose from. Will you help me pick one?"

"Of course!" Rachel couldn't help but smile at Sheridan. A solo in glee club is something that she had been working toward since she joined in September. Rachel knew it was only a matter of time before she got one, the glee club was still run by Mr. Schuster, who liked to give everyone a chance at a solo. To say Sheridan was talented was an understatement, she took after Rachel and Finn in that regard, though the poor girl couldn't dance to save her life. But belt out a Barbra Streisand song? She could.

Sheridan looked quite pleased with herself on the drive home. Rachel was glad to see the smile back on her little girls face after the past few days she had had.

* * *

He waited at a table in the corner. He'd chosen the corner because of the fact that when he'd walked in, he'd seen two parents of kids from his class and wanted this discussion with his wife to be private. It was suspicious enough as it was, the two of them getting here separately. The Lima gossip mill was always running, and it always seemed that walls had ears. He got their beverages, going with a decaf for her cause he knew she would freak out about having actual coffee this late and waited. He had his eye on the door and waited for her to come in. His palms were sweaty as he wiped them on his jeans, he was undeniably nervous. It was just his wife for God's sake. But it was the fact that it was his wife, the one he'd screamed at almost 4 days ago. The one who he'd promised to love and cherish. The one, that just maybe, didn't want him anymore.

* * *

Rachel was nervous. She checked her outfit in the mirror one more time, a pair of dark blue jeans and a long sleeved green shirt with her knock off Uggs. She looked fine, but it didn't help the nervous feeling she had in her stomach. Sheridan stood in the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest. Rachel could feel her eyes on her.

"Why are you so nervous, you said it was just coffee with a friend." She said softly. Rachel met her daughters eyes in the mirror and shrugged. She couldn't tell her that it was her father she was meeting, she couldn't tell her this conversation might make or break her and their relationship.

She sighed and turned away from the mirror, looking at Sheridan.

"You know the routine, I'll get Autumn in her pajamas before I go but you'll need to tuck her in at 8." Rachel glanced at the clock on her nightstand. "She'll want a story, maybe green eggs..."

"Mom, I've watched Autumn before and put her to bed. We'll be fine."

Rachel blew out a breath. "Well, if you need anything..."

"I know, you'll have your cell on." Sheridan smiled, walking closer to her other. She placed a hand on her shoulder. "We'll be fine. She's going to bed and then I have that essay to work on for English. We'll be okay, I promise. Have fun with your friend"

Rachel tried to give her a small smile. Sheridan's words rang in her head, if only she wasn't dreading this meeting and if only it really was a friend she was going to see.

She arrived at the Lima Bean at 5 to 8 and took a deep breath as she stared at the front door. She had noticed his car parked further away from the door but couldn't tell if he was inside of it or not. She turned off the ignition and took another minute to collect herself before stepping out of the car. She straightened her coat and tried to will every bit of confidence that she had as she walked into the building, much like she had many times before.

She felt her palms get sweaty, and she moved to unzip her coat as she looked around the small establishment for her husband. She almost missed him, but she spotted him in the back corner. She took a deep breath and walked slowly over to the table where he was sat.

She came to a stop in front of the table and paused for a moment. "Hi." She said softly. She bit her lip as she looked at him, taking a second before shrugging off her coat and sliding into the booth.

"Hi." He said softly. When she sat down on the bench across from him, he gently pushed the cup of coffee that sat in front of him towards her.

"I can't..."

He stopped her. "It's decaf." She tried to give him a small smile. He shrugged in response. "Old habits die hard I guess."

She tried to smile at him but she would be lying if she said it wasn't hard to look at him. She couldn't look at him and not hear the ugly, vicious words that had been slung. It was hard not to remember the nights, the weeks and the months that had led to this point. All of the memories and feelings flooded her mind as she looked at him and chewed her lip simultaneously. She couldn't read his eyes, she was usually really good at reading his eyes to determine his emotions, his thoughts. But that ability, that intuitive feeling was gone. Was three days, and a really horrific fight all it took to dissolve that? Did the last sixteen and a half years of memories, mean anything at all?

They sat in silence for a few minutes, both of them looking at their drinks. She took a sip of hers, savouring the taste and feel of the warm drink. He'd remembered enough to get it made right, a dash of sugar with two splashes of milk.

He contemplated how to bring it up, he took a deep breath and swallowed hard figuring it was now or never. He waited until he saw her visibly swallow the sip she had taken. He felt his heart rate speed up.

"I think we need some space." He cleared his throat after he said the words. His eyes avoided hers, not wanting to see the look that haunted her once bright brown eyes. He felt like such a coward, this was all his fault. He had caused all of this pain and suffering that they were inflicting on each other, that he had inflicted on her. And he was the one to pull the trigger, press stop. "We need to separate."

Rachel felt her heart stop, her breath catch in her throat. The tears instantly came to her eyes, she felt the burn immediately. She felt the pound of blood rushing to her ears as the tears started to fall from her eyes. She bit her lip in a lame attempt to stop the sobs from coming from her throat. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She couldn't believe what he was saying. She felt immediately sick, and she dropped her arms from the table and wrapped them around her middle.

But it was no use. The sob emerged as his words sunk in, he wanted to separate. He wanted to be apart from her, from their girls, from their life. She sobbed as she brought a hand to her mouth. She didn't care who heard or saw her, her heart was breaking and that's all that mattered. Except the girls.

She gasped as realization hit, and her eyes flew to look at him. She found him looking at her, his eyes almost vacant with a hint of sadness.

"The girls." She stumbled out, the sob emerging. "What about the girls?"

She saw something flicker in his eyes, but he still didn't say anything to her. He just sat there, his face virtually blank and emotionless. She wanted to be angry with him, because she was feeling so much thanks to his words but she just couldn't. She sniffed and wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her shirt.

He felt numb. He had said the words, he had made his thoughts and intentions known. He watched her react and felt his heart completely shatter. He didn't know what to do. If he was a better person he would reach out and take her hand. But if he was a better person they wouldn't be here in this situation. He wouldn't be dousing their marriage in gasoline and setting it on fire. He wouldn't be severing the one true thing in his life. He watched her cry, she was truly sobbing and he couldn't bring himself to do or saying anything to even numb the pain for her. So he sat there, feeling blank and empty.

"When?" She said softly as the sobs subsided only slightly. She hiccupped and he forced himself to look away.

He cleared his throat and sat back in his seat a little bit, taking in the situation as it was becoming real. He'd done it. He had really done it. And he didn't feel better about anything. If anything he felt worse. He was suppose to feel worse, right?

"Well, as soon as possible. I guess. I mean, we've kind of been doing it for three days now..." He cleared his throat again.

She couldn't look at him. She felt another sob rising, and she covered her mouth quickly with her hands. She felt like the walls were exploding around her. She felt like her entire world was shaking. Her stomach rolled as she looked up at him, not bothering to even try to hide the tears that were once again streaming down her cheeks.

"What should we tell the girls?" She asked softly. She cleared her throat as the sobs slowed again. Her mind was beginning to go a million miles a minute, the first thought that flashed in her mind was her precious girls. Their entire world was about to completely be rocked more than it had in the last few days. Her heart broke as she thought of them, trying hard not to imagine how they would take this revelation.

"I think we should tell them together."

She scrunched her face as she looked at him, feeling anger rise amongst the sadness that had flooded her being. She scoffed a little and looked at him incredulously.

"That's great that you actually want to own up to some of this. It's great that you want to tell them 'together'" She said with air quotes around the last word. "But _what_ are we supposed to tell them?" She snapped, looking at him. Her sobs had subsided and were quickly making wave for the rising tide of anger.

Finn leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table and looking across the table at Rachel.

"I don't know what to tell them, Rachel." He bit back a snide remark. "Just like you, I haven't done this before." She glared at him, it was all she could really muster. And just like that she was reminded of what had brought them to this point. This is why they were here, in this position. This place of absolute nothingness and pain.

* * *

She returned home that night and sat in the driveway for a few minutes. She gasped when she looked at her appearance in the mirror, her eyes were swollen and her makeup was a mess. She grabbed for a tissue from the cup holder and attempted to wipe up the mess. She sighed when she finished, it was still obvious to her that she had been crying. She only hoped that Sheridan was following the house rules and had gone to bed. She got out of the car when she was ready, sighing as she walked to the front door.

She unlocked the door and hung up her keys on the hook. She blew out a breath as she shucked out of her coat and hung it up.

"How'd it go?" Rachel nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard her daughter's voice.

"Jesus, Sheridan." She turned on her heel and looked at her daughter, her hand clasped over her heart.

"Mom..." Sheridan's voice dropped an octave as she took in Rachel's appearance. "Have you been crying?"

Rachel sighed. "Shouldn't you be in bed Miss?" She moved out of the entry way of the house and to the kitchen to start getting the lunches for tomorrow ready.

"Mom, who were you with tonight?" She implored, coming to stand right next to her mother. "Mom..."

"Sheridan, it's really none of your business." She sighed, turning to look at her.

"Mom, you've been crying..."

"Am I not allowed to cry? Have emotions? Sheridan, please." She turned to open the fridge to grab some vegetables to cut for Autumn's lunch.  
Sheridan looked at her mother with a critical eye.

"Mom..." Rachel sighed as she stood up, a bunch of celery in her hand.

"Go to bed please Sheridan. We'll talk tomorrow, alright? Please." Her voice broke against her better instincts. She turned to look at her daughter again before going back to the celery to cut it up for Autumn. She felt Sheridan wrap her arms around her from behind and Rachel tried hard to bite back the tears that were rising.

"I love you Mom."

"I love you too Sheridan. More than anything." She whispered. They stayed like that for a moment before Sheridan let go and left the kitchen. Rachel held her breath until she heard the distinct footsteps above her, letting her know that Sheridan was upstairs. She let go and allowed the tears to fall down once more, blurring her vision. She dropped the knife against the cutting board and bit her lip to prevent her from sobbing loudly. Her shoulders slumped with the weight of the day, the conversation with Finn and Sheridan's mini interrogation. She was officially a mess.

* * *

Finn entered his parents house to find them both waiting up for him in the living room. When he saw his mother, he felt his shoulders slump as he looked at her. Neither of them said anything. He walked into the room and collapsed into the easy chair, leaning his elbows on his knees, bringing his hands to clasp his head. After a few minutes he looked up at them, both of them looking back at him with almost expectant faces.

He blew out a breath. "I asked her to separate."

And he could tell by the look on his Mother's face especially, that this is not what they were imagining.

He blew out another breath. "I think I just destroyed my marriage." He said simply before hanging his head down again, dropping it into his hands.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts? **


	4. Keep Me

**Once again, thank you for all the reviews! Someone mentioned in a review about Rachel's Broadway dreams. Hope this chapter kind of puts that in perspective. This chapter gives us a little back story as to what has brought our Finchel to the point they are at. Hope you enjoy!**

**As always, I don't own anyone that appears in glee. Just the original characters (that actually don't appear in this chapter). Everyone belongs to Ryan Murphy and Co. Any similarities are unintentional.**

**Enjoy**!

* * *

**Chapter Four:**_** April 2011  
**_

_This couldn't be happening. This wasn't happening. She sat on her bed with her hands clasped in her lap, waiting for the timer on her phone to go off. This wasn't happening. Finn stood on the other side of the room with his head and arms leaned against the wall. She bit her lip as she watched him, her hands twisting in her lap. She wanted to say something, wanted him to say something to make this situation better. They'd been dating for six months, and had been sexually active for three. They were careful. This wasn't happening. Not to her and not to him. It didn't happen to couples like them. They had dreams._

_The shrill ring of the alarm she had set on her phone blared out. That had to have been the longest three minutes of her life. Finn turned from the wall to look at her, and they both glanced at the bathroom door. She stood up slowly from the bed and reached her hand out for his. He took it hesitantly and they both walked into the bathroom where the beige stick lay on the counter._

_"Together?" She whispered as she squeezed his hand._

_He nodded silently, looking down at her._

_They took a synchronized step forward towards the vanity and on the count of three they looked at the stick._

_There, in plain black lettering were the words **Pregnant - 5-6 Weeks.**_

_She'd been sick for over a week, her stomach rolling at every turn. She'd been so sick she'd missed two out of five days of school that week, today being one of them. By some grace of God her father's had all day meetings today and Finn had come over right after school to take care of her._

_"I'm going to be sick" Finn mumbled as he continued to stare at the little digital window. Rachel's hands flew to her mouth as she gasped at the result. She felt the tears well in her eyes as the words really sunk in. Her worst fears were coming true._

_She was pregnant._

_He turned around and left the bathroom, left Rachel standing there staring at the instrument that had just changed their lives. She didn't register his departure for a few moments, but when she did she followed him out of the room. She found him sitting on her bed, his head in his hands. She bit her lip as she stared at him, her arms coming to cross over her stomach. Her heart was pounding in her chest, her head was pulsing with an oncoming headache. Something else that had been plaguing her for almost two weeks, and now she knew why._

_She watched him pull at his hair, and heard him grunt in frustration._

_"Finn." She said calmly. His head snapped up to look at her, their eyes connecting. She felt the tears rise in her eyes as she looked at him. He slowly opened his arms as a sign for her to come and sit on his lap. He kissed her head as she leaned into his chest and his arms wrapped around her. She started to cry softly into the fabric of the jersey he had on. "What are we going to do?' She hiccupped after a few minutes._

_"I don't know Rach." She heard him say, his voice low and husky._

_She didn't know how long they sat there together, his arms around her waist tightly and her head laying on his chest._

_"I should go to the doctor." She said simply after a few minutes. She felt his muscles twitch and she looked up at him. He nodded his agreement. She did need to get checked out. Maybe by some miracle the test was wrong._

_Inside, he was freaking out. He didn't know what to do, didn't have the answers. His mind was going a million miles a minute. Pregnant? A baby? How were they going to have a baby? They were 16! He tried not to visibly show how scared shitless he was, he knew Rachel needed him to be calm. They'd only been dating for six months, hell, he'd only really known her since September. Now what were they going to do with a baby?_

_"Do you have your truck here?" She asked softly. He was pulled from his thoughts and he looked down at her._

_"Of course." He gave her a confused look._

_"Maybe we should find a doctor out of town, or something." She bit her lip. She had a point. Lima was small, and walls really knew how to talk around here. He simply nodded. She pulled herself out of his arms and stood up, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. Finn felt his heart tumble, he felt bad. She looked so young as she stood in front of him. Hell they were both really young, but she just looked...vulnerable._

_"I'll find somewhere." She whispered. He watched her move for her laptop that was sitting on her dresser before coming back to sit beside him. Guess they couldn't delay the inevitable._

_After a few minutes they determined there was a Planned Parenthood in Elida where they'd be able to walk in and get another pregnancy test done. He watched from the bed as she fluttered around the room getting ready to go. When she flew by him towards the bathroom he grabbed for her hand and tugged her towards him. She came to a stop right in front him, his hands on her hips._

_"It's going to be okay" He whispered lowly. He felt like he needed to say something like that, even if he really didn't believe it himself at the moment. He just felt like he had to protect her. Her tears escaped her eyes as she looked at him and he pulled her into a hug again before giving her soft kiss. God, he only hoped it would be okay._

_They got to the office in Elida and were put back in a room immediately. They didn't talk as they sat in the room, each of them fidgeting with their hands. Both were broken out of their trance when a young woman entered the room._

_"Hello, I'm Dr. Saxons. You must be Rachel and Finn?"_

_They both nodded at her._

_"Now, I have written here that you took a home pregnancy test this afternoon and you'd like another test to confirm? Is that correct?" Finn remained silent but Rachel nodded her head at the young doctor. "Were your results at home positive or negative, Rachel?"_

_"Positive." She said softly. "It also said I was 5-6 weeks pregnant."_

_"Ah ha" The doctor jotted that down. "Can you tell me when your last menstrual period was, Rachel?"_

_Finn twisted in his seat uncomfortably but didn't say anything. Rachel answered the doctors question and the ones that came after._

_Dr. Saxons handed Rachel a cup after the questioning was finished and sent her into the bathroom across the hall. She returned minutes later with the sample and_  
_Dr. Saxons left to get it tested. She promised to be back with the results._

_"What are we going to do Finn?" She said softly as she sat in the chair beside him. "A baby is a big deal."_

_He sighed and looked at her, taking her hand in his._

_"Well, let's just see what Dr. Saxons says. I mean, there's such things as false positives, right?"_

_She bit her lip and looked down at their joined hands. "Right."_

_They sat in silence as they waited for the Doctor to come back. When she did return, Finn sat up straighter and his grip on Rachel's hand tightened._

_"Well kids, it's positive. By my calculations the test also dated your pregnancy correctly, at about 6 weeks." Finn felt all the breath leave his body, just like before in her bedroom . His worst fears were confirmed. Rachel was pregnant._

_"Now, you do have options..."_

_"Abortion is not an option. I will not kill my baby." Rachel shook her head before the doctor could finish. Finn actually felt relief spread, he didn't know if he could deal with that. Abortion was like murder, right? He didn't want that on his conscience._

_"Well, even without abortion there are options. You could put the baby up for adoption, there are plenty of families out there that are waiting to adopt a newborn. Or you could raise it yourself." She said softly. "You have choices, take the time to decide what is right for you guys. This includes you too Finn. You're in this too." He nodded._

___They thanked the doctor after a few minutes, taking pamphlets about prenatal care and noting which vitamins which she recommended Rachel to start immediately. They left feeling just as scared and numb as when they had walked in. _

_"What are we going to tell our parents?" She said softly after they had sat in the truck in silence for a few minutes._

_"My mom is going to kill me. And I don't even want to think about your dads right now." Finn sighed, running his fingers through his hair._

_"I'm scared Finn." She whispered as tears surfaced again. He turned to her and placed his hand on her cheek._

_"Me too." He breathed. "But it's going to be alright. We just...we need to take it one step at a time." He leaned over and kissed her forehead, then her lips before moving back to start the car._

* * *

_They told his Mother first. When they'd gotten back to Lima it was late, and Rachel didn't want to be home alone. Her Dads had left this morning on a three day business trip and wouldn't be home until Sunday night. So Finn had brought her to his house, where his mother was waiting with dinner ready. They hadn't planned to tell her that night, it was still such a fresh wound to them both. But when the smells of dinner and the apple pie Kurt had made for dessert assaulted her senses and she ran to throw up, they had no choice._

_He squeezed her hand as he looked down at his plate after the words had left his mouth. He waited for the yelling, the screaming. Honestly, he waited for his mom or Burt to throw him out of the house._

_"What do you mean, pregnant?" His mother asked calmly. Finn looked up at her just as Rachel started to speak._

_"Mrs. Hummel, I can assure you that..."_

_Finn cut her off. "Rach, stop. Mom, I...Rachel took a pregnancy test after school and it came out positive. So we went to Planned Parenthood in Elida..." He paused, he could feel Burt's eyes drilling into his face. "And they confirmed it." He blew out a breath. "We're having a baby."_

_"A baby" His mother repeated. "You...Rachel...you...you're having a baby."_

_"I'm sorry Mrs. Hummel." Rachel lowered her head as the tears threatened the corner of her eyes again. Finn's arm came around her and he placed his hand on her shoulder._

_"Kurt, do you think you can excuse us for a moment?" Carole looked over at her stepson who had been quiet through the entire meal so far._

_Finn swallowed hard and squeezed Rachel's shoulder. He kept his eyes on the wall behind his mother as his stepbrother left. When Kurt was out of the room, his mother spoke._

_"So you only found out today?"_

_Both Finn and Rachel nodded. "I've been sick for over a week, I figured it was just the flu until I figured..." Burt held his hand up to signal she didn't need to go further. Carole gave Rachel a soft, compassionate look._

_"What did Planned Parenthood say?"_

_"Exactly what the test told us. Finn bought the digital one that tells you how far along you are approximately. Dr. Saxons said I'm about 6 weeks pregnant." Both Burt and Carole nodded, looking at the young couple in front of them._

_"Mom, Burt, I know..." Finn grunted, trying to get his thoughts in order. "I just...we didn't mean for this to happen. We were careful and..."_

_Again, Carole and Burt nodded. Finn's arm dropped from around her shoulders and he took her hand. "We're going to need your help." He said softly. That was the_  
_best he could do in terms of what he was trying to say, what he needed to get out. "Please."_

_"Have you told your father's yet?" Burt asked, looking intently at Rachel. She shook her head._

_"They're out of town for the weekend." She said quietly. "I don't really know how I'm going to...either."_

_Things got quiet at the table after Rachel spoke. She clutched Finn's hand in hers as the tears finally spilled from her eyes. ._

_"A baby is a big responsibility." Burt said after a few minutes of silence._

_"We know." Rachel answered quietly, for the two of them. "We...we haven't really had a chance to talk about what we're going to do about it." She used her free hand to rest on her flat stomach. "But we did...we agreed that abortion wasn't an option." She sighed. "I won't kill my baby."_

_"While I'm glad to hear that," Carole started. "You two are so young. You have your entire lives ahead of you." She paused, looking at the two of them. "You **both** have a lot to think about." She stressed the both part of her sentence. "You really need to think about what it is you want to do, keep the baby or give the child up for adoption. Are you ready to be parents?'_

_Finn felt Rachel's hand tremble in his. He didn't have the answer to that question, and it seemed neither did Rachel._

* * *

_Finn's parents allowed her to spend the weekend at their house, after Finn had explained that she didn't really want to be alone. So after they finished dinner, and him and Rachel cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher he took her home to grab some stuff before returning to his house. They were just settling in his room, getting ready to watch a movie together when a knock at his bedroom door came. He felt Rachel tense when he called whoever it was in. She relaxed when she saw it was Kurt._

_"I just wanted to tell you guys that your secret is safe with me. I won't tell anyone until you say I can or until you do." He said softly._

_"Thanks Kurt. Means a lot little brother." Finn tried to smile as Rachel leaned against him. Kurt nodded and stood there for a few minutes before turning to leave the room._

_"He's a good guy." Rachel mumbled as she played with the sleeve of his shirt._

_Finn chuckled a little. "He is. A little eccentric as you've seen in glee, but a good guy nonetheless."_

_Silence enveloped them after a few minutes. Finn reached for the X-Box controller to press play for their movie when Rachel spoke again._

_"Finn." She whispered._

_"Yeah babe" He looked down at her, dropping the controller. She looked up at him with her bottom lip between her teeth._

_"I..." Her voice wavered. "I'm scared."_

_Finn's heart plummeted as he looked down at her. He gently tilted her head so he could drop a kiss on her lips._

_"I'm going to be here every step of the way." He whispered as he pulled away from her. "Rachel, I love you."_

_He saw her eyes widen as she looked up at him, his words registering. He'd never said those three words to her. He knew he loved her, cared a lot about her. He'd been feeling like this for the last month or so, and he felt like it was the only way he was going to make her feel better at the moment._

_"I love you too Finn." She sighed, resting her head against his chest."I love you too." She felt him kiss her head as he held her._

_They didn't talk a lot that night, once they'd declared their feelings for each other they'd cuddled up on his bed to watch the Hunger Games. They had a lot of decisions to make, some that probably had to be made pretty quickly, others could wait. But for right now, Finn was just content to hold her in his arms and enjoy how uncomplicated life was. Because life was about to get really, really complicated._

* * *

_Her father's made things complicated. If the conversation they had had with his parents the very day they'd found out about the baby themselves had been hard, the one with her father's on Sunday night was even worse._

_They'd spent most of Saturday talking things through, about what they would do during the pregnancy. Finn had declared over and over again that he would be there the entire time, and any decision she made in regards to keeping the baby or giving it up for adoption he was okay with. He didn't know what to do, he just knew that in 7 and a half months they would have to make a decision about what to do, maybe even before then, but he didn't know what decision to make._

_Finn's head hurt from all the yelling. He'd never seen her father's angry in the six months he had been dating Rachel, but the look on their faces the moment she told them she was pregnant would be ingrained in his mind forever. He was sure this stress, and anger weren't good for Rachel or the baby._

_"Daddy, Papa, I'm sorry" She sobbed as she looked at them with tears running down her cheeks. She sobbed and gasped, her arms going around to her stomach as she felt the nauseous feeling roll through her. Finn's hand immediately went to her back and began to rub comforting circles, something they had both learned helped over the weekend._

_"This isn't what we wanted for you Rachel." Her Papa stabbed. "And you..." He pointed at Finn. "I knew you were no good for our little girl the moment I met you. I should call the cops..." Finn's face paled. Cops? Why would they need to call the cops? Did he break the law or something?_

_"Papa, don't. It was mutual, consensual. It always has been...I ...I love him." She hiccupped as she looked at the two of them._

_Both Hiram and Leroy scoffed. "Love? You two are 16, you don't know what love is."_

_"With all due respect, we may only be 16, Sirs, but I do know that I feel something for your daughter that I have never felt for anyone in my life."_

_"Cut the crap, Finn." Hiram Berry spat. "That may have worked on our daughter but..."_

_"Daddy, I do love him." Her lip trembled. "And we're having a baby."_

_Leroy shook his head. "Yes, you're having a baby. But you're not keeping it."_

_"We haven't talked..." Finn looked at Rachel. "We haven't decided..."_

_"She's a minor. You're a minor. We're deciding for you. Once the baby's born you'll be giving it up for adoption." Leroy looked at Hiram for support. He nodded. "You have too much to live for. Rachel, what about your dreams?"_

_She sobbed as she leaned onto the table, her head in her hands. Her head snapped up and she glared at her fathers. "I don't care about my dreams! They weren't my dreams anyways, they were yours! I'm keeping my baby."_

_Finn tried not to let the surprise show on his face._

_"I'm not giving up my baby! I know what it's like to be adopted!" She snapped. She grabbed for Finn's hand again and squeezed hard. He squeezed back to let her know he was there, he had heard her and he supported her._

_"You're just a child Rachel, you don't know what you want." Leroy fumed._

_"I know enough that if it was MY child coming to me for help I wouldn't scream at them. I would do everything in my power to support them. Guess that's too much to ask from my own fathers." She snapped. She wiped at her eyes angrily with her free hand before looking at Finn. "Let's go. " She stood up from the table and glared at her father's before turning on her heel and dragging Finn out of the room with her. They only stopped once they reached the front door. Rachel jammed on her shoes and encouraged Finn to do the same before leading him out to his truck._

_"If you leave Rachel, you better not come back until you've come to your senses." Leroy yelled from the porch._

_Finn looked from her parents on the porch to her and back several times. He waited for her to say something, do something. She yanked open the passenger side door of the truck and slid in, slamming the door._

_Finn followed her lead and jumped in, jamming his key into the ignition._

_"Rach." He turned to look at her._

_"Drive Finn." She snapped, her arms wrapping around herself._

_"Where do you want to..."_

_"Anywhere but here." She replied, the venom and anger slipping from her voice giving way to sadness and tears. He pulled out of the driveway and once they were safely on their way, he grabbed her hand._

_He didn't stop driving until they reached the lake, and he put the car in park before turning the truck off and looking at her. He unclipped his seatbelt and then hers and pulled her across the bench seat to sit beside him. She buried her head in his chest and sobbed, clutching his shirt in her hands._

_"It's going to be okay Rach. I know I've been saying that a lot but it is. It's going to be okay." He kissed her head._

_"I want to keep the baby." She whispered. "I meant it when I said that to my dads, I...I want to keep it. I need to. It's our baby Finn, and...I...I know it's stupid and it'll be hard...but I already love it and I don't want anyone else to raise..."_

_He placed a finger on her lips and turned her face to look at him. "If that's what you want, it's what I want too Rach. We're going to have a baby." He offered her a small smile before he gave her a soft kiss. He let his hand fall down to her still flat belly. "We're having a baby."_

_She nodded, as if she as affirming the words in her head._

_"My dad's hate me."_

_"I'm sorry" He said quietly._

_"Not your fault."_

_He chuckled a little bit. "Kind of is, don't you think?" She sighed in response. "Wanna get out of here?"_

_"And go where Finn? I can't go home..." She gasped as a sob worked its way up into her mouth._

_"We'll go to my house. We're going to have to talk to Mom and Burt again anyway."_

_"Can we...can we just sit here for a few more minutes? I kind of need to just destress for a minute."_

_He nodded and pulled her close. "Absolutely"_

_By the time they got back to his house, it was late and they'd missed dinner. They walked into the house together, and when Finn didn't see Burt or his mom around anywhere he took Rachel up to his room and let her lay down while he went to find them. She'd cried on the way back to his house from the lake, when she'd realized that she had nothing for school tomorrow. She'd left behind everything at her house, and she had no intention of going back there tonight. He wasn't sure if he wanted to send her back there ever, not with the way her Dads had spoken to both of them. He couldn't put his girlfriend and child in danger._  
_Child. Baby. He was having a baby. With Rachel. Holy fuck._

_He found them in the backyard, sitting on the swing that was back there. It was warm for an April evening and it seemed like his parents had been enjoying the weather._

_"Finn, didn't know you were back. There's some dinner in the oven for you..." Carole sat up and looked at her son._

_"We're keeping the baby" He blurted out. "Rachel wants to keep the baby but that means she can't go home Mom." His voice broke as he looked at his parents. Both his parents sat there looking at him with stunned looks on their faces. "We...I...We...could really use your help and understanding right about now." His voice broke._

_Carole stood up from the swing and immediately went to wrap her arms around her son as he started to cry. "It's going to be okay. We'll help you as much as we can..." She turned to look at Burt who nodded. He walked over to Finn and clapped him on the back. "It's going to be okay...where's Rachel?"_

_"She's laying down upstairs. Her...her Dads screamed at her. It was bad Mom, I've never seen anyone so angry. They told her not to come back until she came to her senses." He shuddered. "They want her...us..to give the baby up and...Rachel...she doesn't want to. She...we..we're keeping the baby"_

_"Finn is this what you want?" Burt asked calmly, looking at his stepson._

_He could only nod. It was what he wanted._

_"I want whatever Rachel wants." He ran his hand through his hair as he looked down at his mother and then at Burt. "We made the baby, we should take care of it. That's just the way the world works, right? Take care of your responsibilities?" They both nodded._

_They stood there for a few minutes, the only sounds were those of the cicadas and crickets starting to chirp in the early evening air._

_"Burt, I need a favour." He said softly after a few minutes passed._

_"What is it, Son?" He explained in a little more detail about what had happened at the Berry household and how her father's had told her not to come back. He mentioned that Rachel hadn't packed anything with her and had had a minor freak out on the drive to their house from the lake about the fact that she now had nothing to her name, nothing for school or any clothes. He wanted to take her back to her house to grab her things, but he was unsure about how to do it. Especially after the Mr. Berry's threat of calling the cops because she was pregnant. Burt immediately agreed to accompany Finn and Rachel back to the house to collect her things. They'd also reassured him that even if they did call the cops, there was nothing they could really do._

_Carole went to check on Rachel while Burt and Finn got ready to go. He was trembling as he tied his shoe laces, and Burt clapped his back. "It's going to be alright son. It's all going to be fine. You're being a real man about this."_

_"I have to be. They're my family Burt." He sighed just as Rachel came down the stairs looking exhausted. "And I love them" He saw Rachel smile a little as he uttered the words. He vowed at that moment he would do whatever he could to make her smile._

* * *

_**Thoughts? **_


	5. Like Battle Ships

**Thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much for all of the reviews! I know this is a hard story to read, but I promise just stick with it and you'll like it. I promise!  
**

**As always, I only own Sheridan and Autumn, and the plot. Everyone else and any relation to plot or events are strictly Ryan Murphy & Co's.**

**Now...the show must go...all over the place or something!**

* * *

**Chapter 5: January 2027**

She felt sick when she woke up the next morning. Her heart felt heavier than her eyes as she sat up in bed. She shivered against the cold atmosphere in her bedroom. She slipped out of bed and grabbed for her phone, checking her schedule for the day. She had no interviews or assignments today, so in a quick move she phoned her boss to tell him that she wouldn't be coming in today due to a migraine. It was a half truth, she did have a headache but it was not of the usual sort.

She threw on a pair of baggy sweatpants and pulled her hair back in a pony tail before moving to the bathroom. She took a good look at herself in the mirror, taking stock of her appearance. She looked like she'd aged ten years in the last three days, she scoffed as tears began to well in her eyes but she stopped them. She wiped at her eyes and sniffed, washing her face with a clean cloth before heading out of the bathroom to wake her girls up.

"Mommy, why aren't you dressed for work?" Autumn looked up at her as she munched on her oatmeal at the table.

Rachel held her cup of coffee in her hands and looked at both the girls.

"I don't have to go in until later." She smiled. Autumn grinned at her mother while Sheridan gave her a critical look. When Autumn went off to wash up for school, Sheridan cleared the table before looking at her mother.

"You really going in late to work?" She leaned back against the counter and looked at her mother. Rachel turned to look at Sheridan. She sighed, placing her own coffee cup in the sink.

"Yes Sheridan." She stated. "Do you have an issue with that?"

Sheridan eyed her again. "I just find it weird. You were basically in tears last night when you came home, and now you're going into work late. Mom, does this have something to do with the fact that Dad has virtually disappeared?" She arched an eyebrow at her mother.

Rachel opened and closed her mouth several times, looking at Sheridan intently. She wasn't sure what to say. Had her 15 year old just called her bluff?

"Sheridan. you're out of line." Was all she could come up with

"Out of line, or right on the money?"

"Sheridan Carole, I would watch what you're saying." Rachel eyed her daughter. "It is really none of your business. And if you must know, your father will be back tonight."

She said quietly. She didn't miss the look that came across Sheridan's face.

Autumn bounded back into the room. "Daddy' s coming home tonight?" She exclaimed as she ran into the room.

Rachel looked down at her little girl and smiled softly. "Yes, Daddy will be here for dinner."

"Yay! I can't wait to show him what I built with my legos last night Mommy!" Autumn bounced on her feet, looking up at her mother. Rachel tried to smile, brushing  
Autumn's hair back from her eyes.

During their conversation at Lima Bean last night, the two of them had decided to have Finn come over for dinner so they could tell the girls about the separation together as a united front. She had scoffed at the idea after he had said it, united front my ass. She was dreading seeing him. It had been so hard last night, being in the same room as him. She had barely been able to keep her emotions in check last night when she was sitting across from him, and they hadn't had any of their family around them. Now the kids would be in the room, and she couldn't lose it. They couldn't see her break. She had to be strong.

She didn't miss the grin on Autumn's face. She got them ready to go and dropped them both off without much fuss. She didn't miss the weird look on Sheridan's face when she hopped out of the car. Rachel tried not to let it bother her, shaking her head as she watched Sheridan head into the high school. She pulled away from the curb, sighing as she drove home. It felt weird to her, not having to run off to work after dropping Sheridan off. It felt weird to be dropping Sheridan off to begin with, it was usually Finn's chore in the mornings. She bit her lip a little bit as she drove home, taking her time. She didn't have anywhere to be until it was time to pick up the girls, and the feeling was strange. She hadn't had this feeling since Autumn was a baby, and even those days were busy and filled with Mommy and Me classes and housework.

She returned to her quiet house and took a deep breath as she leaned back against the front door. She closed her eyes as she sighed, taking in the silence that almost never invaded her house. It had only been a few minutes, but she was already regretting taking the day off. She was alone with her thoughts, without the girls there to occupy her time. This wasn't going to end well.

She pushed herself off the door after a few minutes and walked into the living room, switching on the stereo that was there and allowing the music to fill the small main floor of her house. She let the music flow through her as she moved towards the kitchen and began to clean. She worked until the kitchen was spotless and the dishes put away, before moving to the living room and doing the same. She picked up the random things the girls had left around the living room, vacuumed and dusted every available surface, even the Xbox. She sighed when she straightened the pile of games that were amuck on the shelf beside the TV. Her mind wandered for a moment, and she briefly wondered if Finn would be taking more of his stuff tonight. She squeezed her eyes closed for a moment, willing the thoughts away before continuing to clean. When she was finished, she surveyed her handy work and she smiled in satisfaction. She turned the music up a little bit louder before heading for the stairs to check out the bedrooms. She peeked into Sheridan's room, and grabbed the dirty laundry hamper after she straightened her bed spread.

She glanced around the room, recognizing the organized chaos that came with being a burgeoning teenager. The room was tidy in a disorganized way, and Rachel had to gain control before her compulsive need to clean overcame her. She (and well, Finn too) had been trying to give Sheridan space in the last year or two, as she came into her own as a teenager. Especially now that she had started high school. Her hand stayed on the door handle, looking around the room when a sad sigh escaped.

When had her little girl become so big? When had pictures of puppies and sesame street characters gave way to pictures of One Direction and Austin Malone? Rachel felt like she blinked and Sheridan was grown, though she still felt like she had a lot of growing left to do. She fondly remembered being 15, as a matter of fact she was 15 when she met Finn. She sighed again as she left the room fully, dropping the laundry basket outside of Sheridan's door before venturing over to Autumn's. Unlike Sheridan's, Autumn's room was a disaster. She chuckled as she moved around the room picking up the stuffed animals, books and dolls that littered the small floor space of her bedroom. She made the bed and gathered the dirty laundry before leaving the room. She ran her fingers through her hair and stacked Autumn's basket on top of Sheridan's before going to her own bedroom to gather her laundry basket. She made her own bed quickly, only really needing to pull back her side of the sheets.

She left the room with her laundry and tried to grab the three baskets in one go. When she couldn't, she gently picked up the stack with the girls laundry and tossed it down the couple of stairs to the main floor, following with her own in her hands. She did the same going down to the basement and kicked the stacked baskets until she was in front of the washer and dryer. She hated laundry, but it was a necessary evil. She sorted the girls clothes, starting the washer once she had a significant pile to throw in. Once she got it going, she sorted the rest of the clothes. She was just getting to the bottom of the basket from her room when she felt it.

The distinct feel of flannel hit her fingers, and she immediately felt her heart lurch. She pulled the item out, shaking it a little bit as it was tangled with another shirt of hers before bringing it up to look at. It was one of Finn's flannel shirts, green, red and white plaid. She brought the shirt close to her face, breathing in the scent that was so ingrained in the threads. The smell that was there was so distinctly Finn. It smelled of the cologne he wore, a specific one she had bought for him years ago that had become his scent. It was so Finn. The shirt she held in her hands was Finn's favourite, and he'd had it since they were in high school. It was her favourite too, she'd even worn it on cold days at the height of her pregnancy with Sheridan.

She loved him in plaid. He looked good in plaid, it brought out the sparkle in his amber eyes.

The sparkle had been missing for awhile now. If she was honest the sparkle had been gone for much too long, longer than she cared to admit.  
She sat down in front of the washer, leaning her body against the cool feel of the machine. She didn't stop the tears that began to come as she held the soft feel of the worn fabric against her cheek. She clutched the shirt in her hands She cried into the fabric, taking comfort in the familiar feel and her favourite scents.

As she sat there, the shirt clutched in her hand, she sobbed. She let her emotions go for the first time in days, openly sobbing. There was no fear of the girls hearing her, of anyone hearing her for that matter. She just let go, allowing herself to fully breakdown, falling completely apart. The washer rumbled behind her, going into the spin cycle which was the only indication of how long she had been sitting there. She stood up after a few more minutes passed, and she dropped the worn flannel into the pile of like coloured clothes. She finished sorting the remaining items in the basket, coming across a few more items of Finn's. There were a few shirts, and a handful of boxers. Each item made her heart ache. She switched the laundry, throwing the load with Finn's items in next, so she could avoid more intense pain. But she didn't throw the plaid flannel in, instead she carried it upstairs with her when she heard her cell phone ringing from the table in the living room. She ran for the phone, catching it on the last ring. She answered it before she had a chance to check the caller id.

"Hello?" She swallowed hard, fisting the flannel shirt in her other hand.

"Rachel, how are you darling?" It was her Dad on the line. She bit her lip before answering, swallowing deeply to keep her emotions at bay.

She cleared her throat. "I'm okay Daddy, how are you?"

She heard her Dad hesitate. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"No. Daddy. You're not...I actually, I'm not at work today." She sighed as she rubbed her thumb along the fabric.

"What? Rachel, sweetheart are you okay?" She cringed inwardly as he used the one nickname that she hated.

"I'm...I'm fine Daddy. The better question is why are you calling in the middle of the day?"

"I was just going to invite you, Finn and the girls over for dinner tonight..." He trailed off.

"We can't tonight Daddy. It's not a good..." Her breath shuddered "It's not a good night..."

She heard her father sigh on the other end of the line. "Rachel, what's going on?"

"Daddy, everything's..."

"Rachel, I'm your..." She cut him off as the sobs erupted. She'd fought hard to keep it together, but there was no use.

"Daddy, we're separating." She sobbed out. She collapsed onto the couch. "He...Finn, we...we had a huge fight on Sunday...and I kicked him out..."

"Oh Rachel." She heard her Daddy sigh into the phone. She leaned her head into her hand and rested her elbow on her knee. She continued to cry into the phone, not really saying anything to her father. "Rachel, I'm so sorry baby."

Her sobs slowed, hiccuping as she tried to get her emotions under control. "Daddy, I'm so scared."

"Oh Rachel, it's going to be okay. Your Papa and I are here for whatever you need. Have you told the girls yet?"

She bit her lip. "That's what we're doing tonight. We just...he told me yesterday he wanted to separate for real. Or legally, or whatever. He just said we need space." She hiccupped again. "Oh Daddy, what am I going to do..."

She talked to her Dad for a bit longer, taking solace in some of the advice he gave. She knew her father's would stand behind her, support her. They had been one of her main support systems her entire life, the only disagreement they had suffered was when she had first told them she was pregnant. But that had blown over in time and their relationship, while it had shifted, went back to the close one they had always had.

She placed her phone down on the table and laid down on the couch, staring up at the ceiling above her. She closed her eyes as she finally felt her heart and head slow down. She still felt like her emotions were wild, like she was unsettled. Everything in her life was in shambles, and she just didn't see an end in sight. Tonight was only going to ruin that. Her phone vibrating on the table broke her from her thoughts one more, and she groaned. She grabbed for the phone on the table and her heart sunk when she saw it was Finn.

_Do you want me to pick up the girls tonight? _ His message read.

She bit her lip, trying to determine how to answer.

_If you want to_. She replied back.

_I want to. _He sent back.

_Then I guess you can. I'll text Sheridan to let her know to look for you. Thank you._

Finn put his car in park when he arrived at the curb of the high school. He checked his phone, making sure there wasn't a message from Sheridan about any change in their pick up plans. After he'd texted with Rachel, he had sent her a message telling her he was picking her up - just in case it slipped Rachel's mind. He'd received a simple 'ok', in response. He drummed his fingers along the steering wheel to the song on the radio as he waited for her to emerge from the high school.

He smiled and reached to turn down the music when he saw her approach the car. He unlocked it, and smiled at his daughter as she got in.

"Hey" He smiled at her as she slammed the door behind her.

"Hi" She mumbled a little darkly.

They were quiet for a moment as Finn pulled away from the high school, heading towards the pre-school to pick up Autumn.

"How was school?" He asked as they came to a stop light.

"It was fine." She said softly. He looked over at her.

"You alright?"

"Just fine." She stabbed out.

"What is it?

"What do you mean, what is it? Don't you think this is weird Dad? I mean, where have you BEEN the last three days?" She asked as the light turned green. They pulled up in front of the preschool.

"That's...really not your business Sheridan."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" She asked, slamming her hand on the handle to the door. "I mean, first Mom comes home last night with HUGE rings around her eyes from crying, and she went in late to work...and now you're picking me up for the first time all week? What. the. hell. Dad?"

Finn eyed his daughter. "Sheridan Carole..."

"Oh, full name. Just like Mom this morning." She groaned. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Sheridan, it's none of your business." He paused. "Can I trust you to stay here while I go get your sister?"

Sheridan grunted and turned her head away from Finn, choosing to look at her phone instead. Finn sighed and got out of the car, walking towards the small preschool. He hoped his reception with Autumn was a little warmer. He had to remember to talk to Rachel about Sheridan.

He walked in, nodding towards the administrator as he walked through, heading for her classroom. He stopped at the door to her classroom, putting his finger to his lips when her teacher caught his eye. He watched her play for a moment, sticking his hands in the pockets of his slacks as he tried to soak in her innocence. His smile widened when she turned from the blocks she was playing with, her eyes brightening when she saw him standing there.

"DADDY!" She squealed. She quickly threw some of the blocks back in the bin before running for the door. Finn pulled his hands out of his pockets and caught her just as she launched her body at him. "Daddy, you're here!" She exclaimed. Finn hoisted her on to hip as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Hey Autumn love!" He exclaimed as he kissed her cheek. He nodded at her teachers and carried her out to her cubby.

"Daddy, I'm so happy to see you!" She smiled as she looked at him. He helped her into her coat and boots, before picking her up again along with her bag.

"And I'm happy to see you too baby doll." He kissed her cheek as they made their way out to the car. He helped her into her car seat, before sliding into the driver's side. Sheridan turned away from him again, instead turning back to talk to Autumn.

Rachel blew out a breath as she checked the time. Since she hadn't gotten a call from the preschool or a text from Sheridan, Rachel figured Finn had held his word and picked up both girls. She stared into the freezer for a moment, trying to decide what to make for dinner. She closed the door just as quickly, deciding to make something with the chicken she had defrosting in the fridge. The front door banged open before she had another minute to think about dinner.

"Mommmmmmmmy! We're hooooooooommmmmme" Autumn called out as she pulled off her coat and boots. Rachel turned from the fridge, the door closing behind her just as Autumn came barreling into the room. She threw her arms around Rachel's waist and looked up at her, her eyes bright. "Mommy, Daddy picked me up from preschool!" She giggled, just as Sheridan came into the room as well. Rachel smiled at her older daughter, but didn't miss the gloomy look on her face.

"Yeah, yeah. We get it. Dad's the best." Sheridan mumbled under her breath. Rachel arched her eyebrow at Sheridan as Finn walked into the room. Rachel tried not to look at him, instead focusing on Autumn, asking her what she wanted for a snack. Sheridan was already rooting through the cupboard, grabbing a granola bar and stalking out of the room. Autumn took a moment to decide what she wanted, eventually copying her sister. Rachel gave her a granola bar and sent her out of the room. Finn still hung out in the entry way, not really saying anything. She caught him messing with Autumn's hair as she ran passed him towards the living room to watch her after school shows.

"I'm making chicken for dinner, I hope that's okay." She said softly, turning back to the fridge, reaching inside to grab the package.

"We can order something, if you want. You don't have to cook..." His voice trailed off. He had once again stuck his hands in his pockets as he leaned against the entry way.

"I'm trying to keep things as normal as possible around here" She dropped the package on the counter, moving to take the plastic wrap off.

"Let me help you then." He moved away from the wall and walked towards her.

"I'd really prefer if you didn't." She turned away from him. He backed away and watched her season the chicken, get the casserole dish ready and then turned on the oven to preheat.

"Rachel..." He started as he watched her from his perch at the island. If she heard him, she was doing a great job of ignoring him. "Rachel, we need to talk about..."

She turned around to look at him, a sad look haunting her eyes.

"Finn, I don't know if you've noticed but I'm kind of busy right now." He took a step closer to her, and she flinched backwards. The oven beeped to signal it was ready, and she turned quickly to slide the dish with the chicken inside.

"Then let me help you."

"You've never helped me make dinner before. Why start now."

Her words hung in the air but she didn't do anything about it. He took a step back and continued to watch her as she prepared vegetables and started a salad.

"You know, you're making me feel pretty uncomfortable right now. I'm sure there's something you can go do. You're usually good at finding something to occupy yourself."

He took her words and let them bite him, choosing not to fight back. It was obvious to him that she was tense, sad. He had hurt her and was continuing to hurt her. He didn't want to make it worse. He stepped closer to her again, but this time he kept his words quiet. "I'll tell them. The girls. About the separation. Feel free to jump in if you want to." He touched her back gently before turning to leave the room.

Her shoulders slumped as soon as she heard his footsteps retreat. She dropped the knife she had been using to cut the tomatoes for the salad. She bit her lip, trying not to let her emotions overcome her. She had had her entire day to be sad. The entire day alone to wallow in self pity and anguish. She heard footsteps behind her and immediately straightened her shoulders.

"Finn, I said..." She turned around and came face to face with Sheridan, who was standing where Finn had been.

"Mom, are you okay?" Rachel sniffed a little bit, looking at Sheridan intently. "Are you crying?"

"Sheridan, I'm fine. Just...had to cut an onion for the salad. My eyes watered."

"You never put onions in our salads. Dad doesn't like them"

"Well, there's a first time for everything...isn't there?" Rachel sighed. "Can I help you with something, Sheridan?"

"I was just coming to see if you need me to set the table yet."

Rachel's shoulders relaxed. "You can set it if you want to. Dinner's not ready yet but you can..." Sheridan nodded and set about gathering the plates, and cutlery for the table.

When she returned to collect the glasses and napkins, she caught Rachel's attention again.

"Hey Mom?"

"What Sheridan?" She sighed.

"I love you" She gave her a small smile. "I just felt like you needed to hear that right now."

Rachel turned and gave her a watery smile, just as Sheridan was leaving the room to finish setting the table.

* * *

The air in the dining room felt weird. It wasn't quiet, Autumn was chattering on about what had happened when the music teacher came to her class today. Rachel nodded in the appropriate places, smiling at her little girl as she talked. Finn for his part, did the same thing. Sheridan was the only one who was quiet. When a lull came in Autumn's rant, Rachel heard Finn clear his throat and she looked up from her plate. He caught her eye, grabbing a napkin to wipe his mouth. Rachel put down her utensils and looked at the girls. Her heart began to pound and felt tears come to her eyes almost immediately. She tried to bite them back, chewing on the inside of her cheek. She waited for Finn to say something.

"Mom, Dad..." Sheridan looked between her parents. The air was getting thicker.

"Girls, your mother and I need to tell you something." Finn started, as he looked at his girls. His eyes shifted between the three of them, stopping on Rachel's briefly before continuing to look between his daughters.

"Are we getting a puppy?" Autumn asked in her high pitched voice. She looked at her parents, an excited look on her face. Autumn had been begging for a puppy since her Uncle Blaine and Uncle Kurt had got one for Cameron that summer.

"No, we're not getting a puppy. Besides, we have Mowgli, isn't he enough?" Rachel asked, mentioning their ten year old cat.

Autumn nodded, shrugging her shoulders.

There was silence for a moment before Finn picked up where he had stopped. "Girls, your Mother and I have decided to separate." He said simply. He blew out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, once the words were out. He didn't miss the squint in Rachel's eyes and he knew it was at his choice of words. They hadn't really decided anything. But it sounded better in his head.

"What does that mean?" Autumn asked, looking between her parents and then at her older sister. "Sheridan what does that mean?"

"It means Mom and Dad don't love each other anymore." She glared at Rachel first, and then Finn before pushing her plate away from her. "I'm finished."

"You don't love each other anymore?" Autumn's eyes immediately began to well with tears. Rachel reached over to touch her little girls hand to stop her from crying.

"Do you still love me?" Her lip quivered.

"Oh baby, of course we do. Your daddy and I love you so much." She looked up at Finn, trying to get him to interject.

"We do Autumn. We love you AND Sheridan so much."

"I can't listen to this." Sheridan pushed her chair back and stood up.

"Sheridan..." Finn called. She walked out of the room, ignoring his calls for her to come back and sit. They heard her bedroom door slam after a few minutes. Finn sighed and closed his eyes. He pushed back to stand up, but Rachel shook her head, nodding towards Autumn. They could talk to Sheridan after.

"Autumn, you know how Daddy has been away from home the last few days?"

Autumn nodded and looked at Finn. "Where have you been, Daddy?"

"I've been staying at Nana and Poppy's, baby." Finn sighed. "And I'm going to keep staying there..."

"But why, this is your house..." Autumn looked between her parents, completely confused.

"Autumn, Mommy and Daddy are going to take some time apart for now. It doesn't mean we love you or Sheridan any less, it just means that we need some time apart. And that means we can't live in the same house for now." Rachel said softly. She reached over and pushed Autumn's hair out of her eyes.

"But I want Daddy to live with us! Why does he have to go away?."

Rachel's heart broke as she listened to her 3 1/2 year old reason with what they had just told her.

"I know baby. It's going to take some getting used to, but we've been doing okay the last three days, huh?"

"Will I get to see Daddy?"

"Whenever you want." Rachel looked at Finn. He nodded.

"I have to talk to Mommy still, but I was thinking maybe we can hang out this weekend." Rachel bit her lip, looking at Finn.

"Just me and you?!" Autumn's eyes lit up as she looked at her parents.

"Well, I was going to invite Sheridan too. But maybe we can do something just the two of us..." Finn turned to Rachel. "Is that okay with Mommy?"

She sighed. He knew she hated being put on the spot. But the look in Autumn's eyes told her enough, if she said no she would crushing her daughter's already fragile heart. "Sure!" She faked a smile.

"Yay!" Autumn smiled looking at her parents. "As long as I still get to have my Daddy too."

"You'll always have me Autumn." Finn smiled.

The conversation faded, and Rachel stood up to clear the plates. Finn touched her hand after he stood up.

"I got this Rachel." She gave him a small glare before sitting down in her chair again. Autumn finished her dinner and took a big sip of her milk.

"Can I go play now Mommy?"

"Of course." She said softly. She rested her elbows on the table and cradled her head in her hands. She heard Autumn hop off her chair and head into the living room.

Finn returned to the dining room after he had cleared the table and sat down across from her, just like he had at dinner.

"I put Sheridan's dinner in the fridge."

"Why did you have to say it that way, Finn?" She didn't look up at him when she spoke.

"Excuse me?"

She ran her fingers through her hair and looked up at him. "Why did you have to put it like that?"

"Like what, Rachel?" He asked softly. He'd thought he had delivered the news as gently and calmly as he could.

"Like just...you just said it."

"How was I supposed to say it Rachel? Did you expect me to lie? You could have jumped in at any time..." He tried to control the irritation that was starting to rise in his voice.

"I don't know...okay? I just...I don't know. " She dropped her head back into her hands. Her voice hitched and the tears attempted to spill. "I don't know. This isn't what I envisioned for us..."

Finn puffed out his cheeks, crossing his arms over his chest. "I know. It isn't for me either. But now, I think we need it. We need..."

"I know. We need space. I know..." She slapped her hand against the table. She shot a look at him. "I know. Doesn't make it hurt any less." She pushed back from the table, standing up and turning to leave the room.

"Where are you going?"

"To make sure Sheridan is okay." She replied, not bothering to turn around and look at him. He sighed.

She knocked on Sheridan's door and waited for her to answer. When she didn't, she knocked again, louder this time.

"Sheridan, it's me."

The music lowered just slightly and the door pulled open in front of her.

"I don't want to talk." She went to close the door, but Rachel put her foot between the door and the frame. "Mom, please."

"I think you're wrong. I think you do want to talk." Sheridan rolled her eyes and let the door fall open again. Rachel entered the room, following Sheridan to her bed. Sheridan sat cross legged on the bed while Rachel sat down beside her.

"I know it's a shock" Rachel started. She smoothed out the invisible crease in her bed spread.

"Not really." She mumbled. She looked at her mother as she adjusted the ponytail in her hair."I mean, it's pretty obvious how you and Dad feel about each other..."

"Sheridan..."

"What? Do you really think I'm that stupid? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that you and Dad can't stand each other." She crossed her arms across her chest.

"Sheridan, I don't know where you would get that idea..."

Sheridan gave her a look that basically told her to get real. "Again, do you think I'm stupid? You don't think I can see the looks you give each other? How you could barely look at him during dinner? Or even when he came in after picking us up from school? Do you think I haven't noticed that you haven't even touched each other? You guys used to ALWAYS hold hands. That's always been one of my favourite memories...how together you guys always were! Even when shit got tough" She stabbed, continually stacking the evidence. "And come on, it was MORE than obvious that something went down when we came home on Sunday. The house was a disaster, and you had that angry vibe about you. And well, Dad was gone. That made everything so obvious. I mean, don't be stupid Mom. You may be able to put this shit past Autumn but I don't..."

"Watch your mouth." Rachel stammered. She felt her hands tremble as she looked at her daughter.

Sheridan stared at her for a moment. "No." She challenged. "Truth hurts, doesn't it?"

"Sheridan Carole Berry-Hudson, I don't know who you think you are..."

Sheridan scoffed. "Full name, must mean I'm in trouble. At least that means you give a shit."

"Sheridan!" Rachel gasped, she slid off the bed and turned to look at her daughter. Even standing up, Sheridan still almost towered over Rachel. "You listen to me. I know you're angry. I know it hurts cause God you have no idea how much this is killing me. Do you think I enjoy this?" She clenched her fists at her sides as she looked down at her daughter. Sheridan's face held an indifferent, almost defiant look. "I know this sucks and it's a big change that's going to take some getting used to..."

"Oh don't worry, I've already gotten used to it." She bluffed. "These three days have actually been a cakewalk. With Dad not here, there's no fighting..." Rachel's jaw opened and closed, looking at her with a stunned look on her face. "You really thought you were hiding that from me? You realize I can hear EVERYTHING through this wall right?" She leaned over and knocked on the wall that joined her bedroom to her parents. "This house is old Mom, walls are paper freaking thin. And I don't know what your definition of quiet is, but your voice doesn't know what it means to whisper."  
Rachel felt the heat rise to her cheeks as she looked down. She'd really tried to hide that aspect from her kids. Obviously, that was just one more thing to add to her list of failures. It must have been getting mighty long by now.

"I mean, where do you think I learned words like fuck, shit and asshole...I mean come on, high school hasn't corrupted me that much."

"Sheridan, that's enough. Enough!" She yelled.

A knock at the door sounded and both women whipped around when Finn stuck his head in the door.

"What?" They both snapped. His eyes widened at the not one but two hostile glances that met him.

"I heard yelling. Just wanted..." Sheridan watched as Rachel rolled her eyes.

"See? My point has been made right there." She slid off the bed, her cell phone in hand and walked between her parents. She stood there for a minute before moving to leave the room. When she went to go through the door she shouldered Finn strongly as she passed through.

"Sheridan!"

"Fuck you!" She yelled. Both Finn and Rachel's eyes widened, looking at each other. Rachel stomped out of the bedroom and was down the stairs just in time to see Sheridan grab her coat and tear out of the house.


	6. Gone Tonight

**Thank you! Thank you for all of your reviews! I appreciate each and every one of them so much! Like I've said, this story can be quite hard to read but I promise you it will be worth it in the end!**

**As always, I only own Sheridan, Autumn and the plot. Everything else belongs to Ryan Murphy.**

**Happy Easter!**

* * *

**Chapter 6: January 2027**

Sheridan jammed her hands in the pockets of her coat, immediately regretting not grabbing her gloves when she had stormed out of the house. She sighed as she walked, the thoughts flowing through her mind like a fast moving stream.

Her parents were separating. She shouldn't be surprised, it was obvious to even her how much they hated each other. But it still sucked. Her family was falling apart and being that she was only 15, there was really nothing she could do about it. She didn't really want her Dad to leave. Yeah, he was just at Nana and Poppy's which wasn't that far really, but it wouldn't be the same. As much as the fighting and arguing, hateful stares and clear ignoring were really annoying, if it meant her Dad still being there every morning she would gladly take it. Her Dad was one of her best friends. Always had been for as far back as she could remember. Just like her Mom. Now she felt like she was being forced to chose sides. She didn't really like how that felt.

She dragged her boots along the pavement as she kept walking. A few tears danced in her eyes and she hastily pushed them away. She wasn't going to cry about this. She had to be strong, for Autumn. She scoffed a little bit thinking about her little sister. Autumn didn't really seem to be affected by the whole thing. All she cared about was whether Mom and Dad still loved her. That was the one thing Sheridan was sure of...her parents love for her. Well, kind of. It must be nice to be so little, young and naive, so untainted by the world around her. She wished she could go back to being that young. not have any responsibility. She dropped her head to face the sidewalk as she walked.

The last three days had been weird. Almost like she had been living in a different world, with a different family. Almost like an out of body experience. It had been different, having Mom do everything in the mornings. Monday had been the most difficult, because everything was so raw. She had known then, when she woke up that something had changed and it was big. It had been obvious. Her mother making her lunch? She looked unsure of what to do, what to pack. It had been something her Dad always took care of. It's not like her Mom didn't know _how_ to make a lunch. She had done it when Sheridan was younger, like Autumn. It was just that her mom hadn't been the one to do it in what seemed like years that it was just strange to have her doing it again. And breakfast...her Dad made sure they had something substantial. Being a teacher, he seemed to get how important breakfast was. Her Mom had let her slide by one morning on just a granola bar. She had known that first morning that something was very wrong. It had become obvious then that her Dad hadn't come home last night. She had been sure she had heard his voice last night, but she ascertained now that maybe she had just been dreaming. Aside from the lunch thing, her Mom's eyes had looked huge, swollen despite the amount of makeup she had attempted to apply to hide them. She had looked so sad and so completely defeated. That had been Sheridan's first clue. And then the half assed excuses as to where her father was. Working late, at Uncle Pucks, gone to work early, right. Sheridan wasn't stupid.  
She supposed she was going to have to get used to it. Her mother taking over the routine in the mornings. She had been lying, so angry when she had spewed to her mother that she was already used to it. This wasn't something that she was going to acclimate to quickly. Everything was so hurried because there was no second person to help. She'd seen it in her mother's face that Monday and Tuesday. By Wednesday she seemed to have gotten the hang of it. But today? It was back to being weird. Her Mom had been weird this morning. She thought she had figured out why though. It must have been Dad that Mom had gone to coffee with. It was the only logical explanation to her. Really, the way she had come back and had been so short, so defensive. And she had been crying, as much as she denied it, it was so completely obvious. Her Mom wasn't good at hiding her emotions, much like Autumn. She was more like her Dad but had her explosive blowouts too. And then that text, from her Mom saying her Dad was picking her up from school. She should have known then that something was going to go down at dinner.

She wasn't stupid.

She just hadn't been expecting them, him, to deliver the news like that. He had been so blatant. So just...nonchalant about it. Did he not care? Not give a shit? She knew what she had said to Autumn wasn't right, she shouldn't have said it like that but she couldn't help the emotions she was feeling herself. When her little sister had looked at her with big eyes asking for an explanation she couldn't help but lash out the only way she knew how. She felt bad about that, knowing her little sister didn't deserve it or even understand, but at the same time listening to her parents explain themselves out of that one hurt almost even more. With declarations that they still loved them and that that would never change. That the separation was 'for now' . She called bullshit on that one. She felt like it would take a small miracle to get her parents to come back together after this one. She didn't really have any hope at the moment, of things ever going back to normal. She'd been at the table, she had heard the fights. She had seen her Mom after the talk with her Dad. She was sure this was forever. She wanted to believe that she was jumping to conclusions, allowing her emotions to rule her thoughts but that didn't really matter. She was just...so angry and so upset. She stopped when she came to the park she had visited a lot when she was younger. She walked towards the swings and brushed the snow off the seat, sitting down once it was clear of the white stuff. She didn't want to be mad at her parents, she didn't want to be upset that the world was crumbling around her but she didn't think she could feel anything else right now. She was sure this whole set up, was going to change her life as she knew it. What it meant exactly was left to be determined, but she had already been corralled once into watching her little sister. She was sure a lot of babysitting was in her near future. She sighed at the idea. It wasn't that she didn't like her sister, didn't like watching her, it was just...the idea of having to do that really meant that things were different. She didn't like different. She didn't like change. She never had. Fond memories of the day they had moved out of the apartment they had been living in when she was six, or the day that she found out her mother was having another baby flooded her mind. Change had never been her forte.

"Is this swing taken?" Sheridan's head shot up to find her Aunt Quinn standing beside her. Her eyes widened as she looked at the blonde woman beside her. She shook her head no, and watched as her Aunt brushed the snow off much like she had before sitting down.

Quinn didn't say anything for a few minutes, pushing her feet off the ground to make her swing move ever so slightly.

"They called you, didn't they?" She asked after a few minutes of silence. Out of the few Aunts and Uncles she had, both legally family and not, Sheridan liked her Aunt Quinn the best. She didn't judge.

"Who called me?" She asked softly.

"My parents." Sheridan mumbled. She heard Quinn sigh.

"No. No one called me. I just saw you walk by the house with your head down. Figured you might need to talk." Quinn implored, looking at Sheridan. "Was I right?"

Sheridan bit her lip, trying to decide what to say to her. She wasn't sure what 'the outside world' knew about her parents crumbling marriage.

"I had a fight with my mom. And well...my Dad by extension I guess."

Quinn nodded, almost encouraging her to go on silently. She looked at Quinn for a moment before looking down at the ground again. Against her better judgement, and the fact that she was sure her parents would kill her for saying as much, she decided to just tell Quinn what had happened at dinner. She needed to talk to someone.

"My parents are separating." She said softly. She didn't look up from the ground. She heard Quinn gasp softly. Apparently she had been right. Not even her parents closest friends knew about the turmoil.

"Are you...are you sure?" She asked softly. Sheridan looked up and saw that her Aunt had stopped her swing and was staring at her intently. She just nodded her head.

"Those were Dads exact words at dinner. That they were separating." She sniffed.

Quinn mumbled under her breath. "Oh Sheridan, I'm sorry."

Sheridan shrugged before looking down at her feet again. She didn't know what she was supposed to say to that, something along the lines of, it's okay that my whole world is imploding?, just didn't sound right to her.

She didn't know how long they sat there. After Sheridan had dropped the bomb about her parents, her and Quinn had sat there on the swings in silence. She'd felt her phone vibrate numerous times in her pocket, she figured it was one or both of her parents trying to find her. She didn't respond to any of the text messages. She wanted them to worry. She didn't want to head back there right now. She heard her Aunt Quinn's phone ring as well from the swing beside her. She glared at her as she answered it. Quinn shot her a look and mouthed that it was her Uncle Noah on the phone. She had left the house in a hurry she explained, and he had a question about the baby. She tried to smile a little bit at the mention of her little 4 month old cousin Beth.

Quinn was just hanging up the phone when they both heard the distinct crunch of snow behind them. She looked down at her feet as Quinn offered a soft greeting and got off her swing. Sheridan felt her touch her back before retreating away from the set. Sheridan looked up in time to see her Aunt walking towards the sidewalk that led back to her house, and her father sit down in the swing she had vacated.

He didn't say anything to her at first, pushing his feet off the snow covered ground and causing his swing to start swaying. Sheridan continued to look at the ground as a soft breeze blew off her father's swing. It stopped after a few minutes, and Sheridan looked up to see her father had gotten off the swing and was standing to the left of her. He reached his glove covered hand out wordlessly to her. She looked up at him, an uneasy look on her face. She accepted his hand and he pulled her off the swing, before passing her a pair of gloves from his pocket.

"Thanks" She whispered.

Finn smiled at her gently. "Want to take a walk?"

She shrugged her shoulders. They began to walk through the snow, finding the path that wound through the park. They walked in silence for a few minutes before Finn spoke.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" He asked softly.

She shrugged again. "I don't know."

"Sheridan." He stopped and touched her arm. "Honey, I can't help you if you don't..."

"Just stop, alright Dad?" She looked at him and then down at her feet.

"I know this is hard to take. It's a lot for a kid." He started. "But if you're going to be angry with anyone, please be mad at me and not your mother."

She chuckled darkly. "Oh, you think I'm just mad at Mom? If you think I'm mad at Mom, I'm absolutely furious with you" Finn looked at her. "You left Dad, you took off for three days. Couldn't even send me a text to let me know that you know, you weren't abandoning me? Or Autumn? You don't know what it's like. I feel like..."

She stopped. He gave her a look, imploring her to go on. "I feel like my whole world is imploding, everything is changing around me and I don't like it one bit."

Finn tried to offer her a small smile, but that was hard to muster. It's not like this situation was easy for him either. It wasn't easy to stay away from his family. It wasn't easy for him to give up on his marriage. None of this was easy for him, even if it seemed like it was. It hurt like a bitch. But to see his daughter hurting?

That made it a thousand times worse.

"I'm sorry Sheridan. I..." He blew out a breath and collected his thoughts. "I heard you with Mom. I'm sorry that you've heard our fights, I'm sorry that it's been so terrible for you. But that's why we're separating. To save you and Autumn from anything more." He stopped. "But you cannot take it out on your mother. Because she's hurting too."

"Oh, I know. Who do you think has been there Dad? Who do you think saw her crying last night when she came home from coffee with YOU?" She wrapped her arms around herself, holding tight. She felt tears prick in the corners of her eyes, and she cursed her emotions for deceiving her.

"Sheridan..."

"Can I come home with you tonight?" She blurted. She wiped at her eyes furiously. "I mean, to Nana's? I just...you said you heard me with Mom. I just don't think I can be home tonight. Especially if you're not going to be there..."

Finn looked at his daughter, and if his heart wasn't broken before it was absolutely broken now. He wasn't sure how to answer. He could see plain on her face that she was hurting, but he also knew that if she wasn't home tonight that Rachel might go ballistic. But Sheridan did have a point. Two hurting women was not going to make a comfortable scene. Both of them had volatile emotions, he'd been around them both enough that while they may seem so different personality wise, they were so similar as well. Even though Sheridan was like him and kept it inside, when it was unleashed, it was unleashed tenfold.

"Of course you can." He offered her a tentative smile, and she gave him a watery one back. They began to walk back to the house, as the darkness almost fully set in.

When they arrived, they both took off their boots and gloves but left on their coats. They found Rachel in the living room, and she immediately stood up when they walked into the room.

Sheridan felt like she couldn't look at her mother. She hadn't exactly been nice to her before she had left, and she had spewed some pretty ugly words. She saw her mother bite her lip, and she felt like she was resisting the urge to throw her arms around her.

"Where did you go Sher?" She implored softly. Sheridan glanced around the room, avoiding the question at first.

"The park." She said quietly after a few awkward moments.

Rachel nodded slowly. "Well, thanks for finding her Finn." She glanced at her husband. He nodded. It was then that Rachel noticed Sheridan was still wearing her outdoor gear. "Sher, why don't you take your coat off, stay awhile" She tried to joke softly. Sheridan's heart was starting to pound in her chest.

"Mom." Her voice was quiet. "I...we...before I left we..."

"I know honey, it's fine." Rachel searched her daughters eyes. "I know you're hurting and..."

"Mom, I want to stay at Nana's tonight." She paused. "With Dad. Just for tonight. I'll come home after school. I just need to have a minute away from here to collect my thoughts...I'm sorry Mom"

She immediately felt terrible as she fumbled through her words. She watched her mother's eyes fill with tears as her own did the same. She saw her mother turn to her father.

"What did you say to her?" Sheridan could see the anger rising amongst her tears.

Sheridan cut her off before Finn could respond. "Mom, it was my idea. I just...it's been a long three days and today didn't end the greatest. Dad didn't say anything, he even tried to tell me no...But I need this Mom." She almost begged. "Please."

Rachel gave her daughter a long look. She knew how close Sheridan was to Finn, always had been. But it still hurt, that on this difficult day, one of the hardest in their entire life as a family, she was choosing to go spend time with Finn. She wanted to keep her daughters close, they were what kept her grounded. Made her feel sane. They were what made this whole separation thing feel even remotely better. If they were with her, she knew they were fine and well taken care of.

"Is it really what you want baby?" Rachel stepped closer and touched Sheridan's arm. She nodded. She turned to Finn. "Just for tonight" It wasn't a question, more of a statement.

"Absolutely." He assured. "Sheridan, why don't you go grab your backpack and some clothes for tomorrow." She nodded and headed off to her bedroom. As soon as she was out of earshot, Finn turned to look at Rachel. "You really think I would put thoughts in her head? Do you hear yourself when you talk sometimes?"

Rachel turned to look at him, a glare mixed in with the tears that were rising in her eyes.

"Please don't start with me right now. It's bad enough you're taking my daughter away..."

"Jesus Rachel, it's for one night. Fuck. She's my daughter too."

Rachel felt her anger flare, and she took a step closer to him in an attempt to keep her voice in check. "That's funny, you laying claim to her now. Considering you said you didn't even want her back then"

Finn rolled his eyes at her. "You know what, fine. Hold a grudge because I said something stupid in the heat of the moment. Yes, maybe there was some truth to it. But that does not mean I don't love her. I heard you two screaming at each other, give her some space Rachel. She's hurting too. Probably more than we are."

They were interrupted when Sheridan entered the room.

"I'm ready." She walked over to them, where her parents were facing off. She looked between the two of them. "What's going on here?" She asked tentatively.

Rachel turned to Sheridan, quicker than Finn. She tried to smile. "Nothing. Just, figuring out the weekend. Autumn wanted to see your father and I was just making sure that was okay still."

Finn faked a smile. "Of course it's fine."

Sheridan eyed her parents, choosing not to get into it. She turned to Rachel and gave her a hug.

"I love you Mom."

"I love you too honey. See you after school tomorrow." Sheridan nodded and walked out of the room when Rachel let her go. Finn followed her and Rachel glared at his back. She waited until she heard the front door close to lean her head on the wall and allow the tears to fall. This was not how her life was supposed to go. She only looked up when she heard Autumn's small voice.

"Did Daddy leave Mommy?" She asked quietly. Rachel turned to her and offered her a watery smile. She nodded. "Where's Sheridan? "

"She went to spend the night with Daddy at Nana and Poppys"

She watched Autumn's lip quiver. She crouched down and opened her arms to her daughter. "C'mere"

The drive to Carole and Burt's was quiet until Sheridan spoke.

"You and Mom were fighting again, weren't you?" She asked softly.

Finn looked over at her. "What makes you say that?"

"C'mon Dad, the way you guys were standing so close together, I'm assuming so you didn't yell? What were you fighting about? Me? Autumn? Money?"  
Finn sighed. "We weren't fighting Sheridan."

"You don't have to lie to me."

Finn could easily see where the tempers had flared this afternoon between Sheridan and Rachel. It was becoming increasingly clear that Sheridan knew more about the state of his marriage and the issues inside of it than she let on. He wasn't really comfortable with that. Damn Rachel.

"Sheridan, what goes on between me and your mother really isn't any of your concern."

"It is when it's damaging my family." She mumbled. Finn didn't know how to respond to that. They pulled up to the curb outside Carole and Burt's house before he could formulate a response. She opened the door and jumped out of the car before Finn could turn the engine off. He sighed, turning the key as he watched her stomp up the pathway to his parents house. He got out of the car and met her at the door before she could go in on her own.

"Finn, is that you?" Carole called as he opened the front door. She walked into the hallway from the living room. She stopped short when she saw Sheridan standing there with him.

"Sheridan, hi" She smiled. Carole took a step closer to her and opened her arms. Sheridan didn't say anything, just stepped into Carole's arms and hugged her. She gave Finn a look as he mouthed that he would explain later.

"Hi Nana" She whispered as she pulled away from the hug.

"Did I hear my Princess' voice?" Burt came into the hallway. Finn saw Sheridan's eyes light up when she saw Burt. Finn smiled at the two of them as Sheridan skipped over to meet Burt's embrace. Burt and Sheridan had been close from the moment Finn and Rachel had brought her home from the hospital. His parents had really been a rock to them in those early years. Finn shook his head, tearing his thoughts from the memories. "What brings you by kiddo?" He heard Burt ask.

Sheridan toed off her shoes and shucked off her coat before looking at her Poppy.

"Just you know...want to see my dad" She tried to smile. "And you of course!" Finn saw her smile lightly, looking at Burt and then Carole.

Burt looked at Carole and Finn. "Well Princess, why don't we see what's on TV?"

"Sure Poppy." Sheridan smiled. She slung her backpack over her shoulder and followed Burt to the living room.

Carole looked at Finn as soon as Burt had Sheridan in the other room.

"Not that I don't love seeing my Granddaughter, on a school night Finn, but can I ask what she's doing here?" Finn sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"Mom, she wanted to spend the night tonight." He paused again, scratching the back of his neck. "We told the girls tonight, about the separation and her and Rachel kind of duked it out afterwards and..."

Carole raised her hand. "Say no more Finn. It's fine. Really" She smiled as she looked at her son.

"Thanks Mom." He said softly. "I think, I might have Autumn this weekend. Maybe both of them, I haven't really asked Sheridan or anything and Rachel already said it was fine. Would it be okay..."

Carole held up her hand immediately. "Of course Finn. I mean, they need to see their father..." He nodded his understanding. He needed more understanding.

They both turned when they heard Sheridan laughing with Burt in the living room. Finn looked dejectedly towards the room. Carole moved to place her hand on Finn's arm.

"It's going to be okay Finn." She said softly. She reached up and kissed her son's cheek. He looked at her unsure.

"Are you sure Mom?" She looked at him with a sad look on her face. The last thing she had wanted for her son, her grandchildren and even her daughter-in-law to face this kind of turmoil. "Because at the moment, it really doesn't feel like anything's going to be okay."

"You'll get through this Finn. All of you will. I promise." She patted his arm softly, before turning to walk towards the living room.

She turned around before she reached the living room. "Come join us."

Finn smiled softly. "I will in a minute. I just...I need a minute, gotta grab something from upstairs."

He escaped up to the room he was staying in, collapsing onto the messy bed. He lay back on the pillows, closing his eyes as he rubbed his face roughly. He sighed as tears started to burn at the corner of his eyes. While the conversation at dinner had gone better than planned, he hadn't really been expecting Sheridan's reactions. He hadn't thought about how much she knew, how much she understood. Sometimes he forgot that she was already had the time gone? When had his little girl become a teenager? When had she become so aware? He missed the days when she would beg for him to play dolls with her, or to even kick a soccer ball in the backyard. He missed the days when things just weren't so complicated. He missed when it was easy.

He didn't know how long he laid there on the bed, thinking about the events of the day. A few tears escaped the corners of his eyes as his mind drifted to the events of the past week. His entire world had crumbled because he had said some of the most hateful, stupid words in the entire world. He rubbed his eyes again. He didn't regret Sheridan. He COULDN'T regret Sheridan. She had changed his world for the better. She'd been the reason he even HAD this family to begin with. And he had gone and fucked it up.

But maybe this was for the best. Maybe him and Rachel needed this time apart. Maybe they weren't meant to be the family that he thought they were going to be. Maybe this was a way out.

He'd be lying if he said married life wasn't boring. He had been married since he was 18. But that also didn't mean he regretted it. It also didn't mean it was easy. Nothing was easy.

His thoughts were interrupted when a knock came at his bedroom door.

He rubbed at his eyes again furiously before calling for whoever it was to come in. Sheridan poked her head in the room.

"Dad? Can I come in?"

"Of course Sheridan." He sat up on the bed, running his hands over his eyes one more time. She came to sit beside him on the bed. She leaned her head on her Dads shoulder. They sat there for who knows how long in complete silence, both of them just taking the sounds of their synchronized breathing.

"We're going to be okay, right Daddy?" She asked softly, her voice hoarse.

His heart shattered. She hadn't called him Daddy since she was like, 6. He kissed the top of her head. "I hope so Sher. I hope so."

* * *

**Thoughts? **


	7. It's Tearing My Heart Open

**Thank you once again for all of the wonderful reviews! I really and truly appreciate them all! Please keep submitting your feedback, it lets me know that people actually somewhat like what's going on!**

**I don't own Rachel, Finn or any original Glee characters. They're owned by RIB and Fox. I just own Sheridan, Autumn and the plot.**

**Also, Happy Belated Easter! The bunny left this at my house for you...**

* * *

**Chapter 7: January 2027**

She would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous. She hadn't been able to sleep very well the night before, knowing that today would be the first day in a long list of weekends that she would have to share her kids. She packed Autumn's backpack with a change of clothes, pajamas, her tooth brush and an assortment of little things she would need for the night. They packed Green Eggs and Ham for bed time and her long eared bunny that she slept with into her backpack and set it by the door.

"What time is Daddy coming Mommy?" Autumn looked up at her with big eyes. Rachel turned around and looked at her daughter, than at her watch.

"He should be here soon." She crouched down in front of her, straightening the long sleeved shirt Autumn was wearing. "You excited to spend some time with Daddy?'

Autumn gave her mother a small smile while bouncing on the balls of her feet. Her eyes were bright, happy. "I'm so excited to see Daddy! What do you think we'll do this weekend?" She asked, her eyes searching Rachel's. Autumn was one who needed to be entertained, if not by a parent but by some sort of stimulating activity. She was kind of like Finn in that way. And since dance was still out for Christmas break this weekend, she knew she would be a handful.

Rachel tried not to let on that she was heartbroken. As she looked at her daughter, the excited look in her eyes, she tried not to let her heart shatter. Of course Autumn would be excited at the idea of spending time with her father. Just like Sheridan, Autumn had been a Daddy's girl from the moment she was born. But it also hurt, to see her so excited. It meant that Finn was coming, and taking the girls away for the weekend. It meant that she was going to be alone. It meant that her new normal was going to begin. It meant that the last week had been real. And that hurt, stung like a bitch.

"I don't know what Dad's planning, but I hope it's not much. I have a big science test on Monday that I really need to study for" Sheridan mumbled as she came down the stairs. She dropped her book bag by the door, right where Rachel had left Autumn's. Rachel tried to give Sheridan a small smile.

"Did you pack your toothbrush Sheridan?"

"Do I look stupid?" She played with her cell phone in her hands, throwing it up and down slightly. Rachel stood up and faced her daughter.

"Sheridan..." Rachel was tired of this sass, this attitude she had been getting from Sheridan. It was all she had heard from the moment she came home from school yesterday, and it didn't seem to be lighting up. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself before she said something she would regret just as a knock sounded at the door. She ran her fingers through her hair and went to answer the door, Autumn on her heels.

She swung open the door and came face to face with Finn. It felt strange for him to knock.

"Oh. Hi" She said softly. She stepped back and let the door open wider, just as Autumn came out from behind her legs and launched herself at Finn.

"Daddy" She exclaimed. She instantly wrapped her arms around his waist just as he bent to lift her. She put her hands on his cheeks to turn his face to hers. "You came back!" She watched Finn's face as he smiled at their little girl.

"Of course I came back Autumn bug" He smiled. He shifted Autumn to his hip and looked between Sheridan and Rachel. "Good morning Rach. Sheridan."

She tried to be civil and gave him a nod and a weak, emotion laden smile back. It didn't go unnoticed that he had used her nickname. Old habits die hard, she figured. She didn't read much into it. She couldn't afford to. Sheridan smiled at her Dad.

"Why don't you girls go the washroom and stuff...we're not heading to Nana and Poppy's right off the bat..."

"Where are we going Daddy?" Autumn asked as he placed her feet back on the floor. Rachel watched the interaction with her bottom lip firmly in her mouth. She crossed her arms over her chest and watched them together. She had always loved to watch Finn with their kids, but now it just seemed...painful. Not for them, more so for her.

"Well, Nana asked us to go grocery shopping for her and Poppy. I thought we could do that and we could pick out a special treat for after dinner." Autumn nodded excitedly at the thought, and turned around to go to the bathroom. Sheridan continued to stand there for a moment, her own arms crossed over her chest. Finn gave her a simple look, and Rachel watched her retreat. To say she was shocked would be an understatement. How had he done that? Finn turned to look at her intently.

"I'll have them back tomorrow after dinner. If that's okay." He said softly, looking at her. He shoved his hands in his pockets. She bit her lip a little harder, and tried not to stare at him.

"That sounds fine." She nodded. "Sheridan says she has a..."

"...big science test on Monday. I know. She told me yesterday before I dropped her off." He headed off. "Going to keep it low key tonight anyway, so she can study."

She nodded. They were quiet for a moment, each of them staring at their feet. What was she really supposed to say to him? What do you say to a person who basically, in not so many words told you he really doesn't want you anymore?

Finn eyed the bags by the door. "I don't know what Sheridan packed, but Autumn has pajamas and a change of clothes, her tooth brush. I made sure to pack her bunny and Green Eggs and Ham, she's been loving that lately." She bit her lip as she rambled. "I put her and Sheridan's health cards in the front pocket. Don't lose them please and don't forget that Sheridan..."

"...is allergic to bees and peanuts. I know Rachel." He sighed when he looked at her again. He scratched the back of his neck. He was going to say something else, but Autumn scrambled back into the room.

"Let's go Daddy!" She exclaimed

"Alright, get your boots and coat on..." He smiled at his daughter. Rachel nodded at them and moved to leave the room, heading for the kitchen to start putting together a cup of coffee. Both the girls came into the kitchen to say goodbye, Autumn's much more enthusiastic than Sheridan's. She tried to busy herself as she heard Finn herd the girls out the door and to the car. She grasped the lip of the counter as she heard the car start up, and her shoulders fell as the car pulled away.

Her girls were gone and she was alone.

She hung her head forward as the reality and the quiet of the house sunk in. The tears immediately sprang to her eyes just as the Keurig roared to life, her coffee pouring out. She hastily put it together, fixing it with two splashes of milk and some sugar before hustling out of the kitchen. She found herself gravitating to the living room, and landed on the couch. She sighed as she leaned back, her head coming to rest on the top cushion. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, allowing the silence to envelope her.

She'd have to get used to this. This silence, this noiseless environment. Of course it would be her weekend off that they started with the weekend visits. She had nothing pressing to do, nowhere to be. No assignments, no photo opportunities to go and cover. Just her by herself, in a house that when empty felt so big. She didn't turn on the TV, didn't reach for the magazine that sat there on the coffee table. She just sat back, with her feet up, coffee cup in her hands and eyes closed. And she just got lost in her thoughts. She thought about how in just under a week, her whole life had been turned upside down. And not just a little bit. The entire basis of her life, the entire structure for which everything else was built had completely blown up. Her marriage, if she could even still call it that, was in complete shambles with absolutely no sign of any resolution unless you counted Finn suggesting they separate. Her relationship with her oldest daughter was rocky, and that was putting it in the nicest way possible. She didn't know how she was going to deal with that, didn't know how she was supposed to react to such open defiance and anger from her oldest child. The seemingly imminent failure of that relationship alone made her heart nearly crack in two. The only things she still had, were her job and her Autumn. But she didn't even have those this weekend. She would be lying if she said it didn't hurt when she saw how excited Autumn got when she saw Finn. It was like pouring salt on a fresh wound. She mindlessly took a sip of her coffee and sighed deeply. It had been a hard week. Made harder by the fact that Sheridan had almost fought her at every turn, even more so last night when she returned from Carole and Burt's. She prayed that this wasn't a sign of things to come. She wasn't sure if she was strong enough to handle a hormonal and upset teenager while her own emotions were so frayed. She absorbed the silence while she finished her coffee, only getting up when the cup was finished. She stood at the sink, looking out the window into the front yard. Her mind wandered to things she could do today, maybe get a head start on spring cleaning, do some work on the column she wanted to pitch to her editor...Her home phone jingling from the cradle on the wall nearly made her jump out of her skin. She shook herself as she walked across the small kitchen to grab it.  
She heard a lot of background noise, and what sounded like a baby crying in the background. A breathless voice appeared just as Rachel was about to hang up.

"Hey" It was Quinn.

She quietly offered her a soft "Hey" back.

"Rachel, I hope it's okay but Sheridan told me the other day about you and Finn...and considering I just ran into them at the grocery store, I figured you were alone and..." Quinn rambled on. "I wanted to see how you were"

She thought for a minute. When had Sheridan seen Quinn? She hadn't mentioned running into her best friend anywhere. She bit her lip as she tried to come up with a response.

"I'm sorry if I'm overstepping, but I'm worried about you Rachel...Sheridan seemed..."

"It's okay" She sighed. "I'm...I'm okay. I guess." She bit her lip again. It was her nervous habit. She was sure by the time this weekend was over she might not have any lip left.

She heard Quinn sigh on the other end of the phone, some shuffling and some muffled words to who she could only assume was Quinn's husband Puck.

"You don't sound okay Rachel." She said softly. "Does he...does he have the girls all weekend?" She nodded as if Quinn could see her. When she was silent, Quinn continued. "Do you need me to come over?"

It was then that the dam broke, and Rachel's tears began to flow down her cheeks. She thought she would be out of tears by now but apparently not. More shuffling and mumbles came from the other end of the phone.

"I'm on my way Rachel."

* * *

Finn walked through the grocery store, pushing the buggy with Autumn inside while Sheridan traipsed beside them, her head in her phone.

"You know, you're going to walk into something or someone if you don't look up every once and a awhile." Finn commented, stopping in front of the shelf of dried pasta. He grabbed a few bags off the shelf, tossing them in the cart careful not to hit Autumn.

"Meh." Sheridan shrugged as she walked. "Why are we grocery shopping anyway, you hate grocery shopping."

Finn turned to look at his daughter. "I don't hate grocery shopping. Nana asked me to pick up a few things and since we were going to be out and about, I thought that would be the nice thing to..."

"You never grocery shopped at home. Mom always did it. That's why we're always stuck with healthy snacks for school and tofu." Sheridan turned up her nose as she looked at her father.

"There's nothing wrong with tofu. And your mother likes grocery shopping so..." He wasn't sure how to continue. Sheridan rolled her eyes.

"I saw that, and that's not very nice Sheridan." Finn pointed out as he continued to push the buggy.

"Daddy, can we get chocolate chip cookies?" Autumn asked from her place in the buggy.

"I think Nana's making some." Finn answered, turning down another aisle. "But you can pick out what kind of juice you want though."

Autumn's eyes lit up and Sheridan rolled her eyes again.

"That's enough Sheridan." Finn sighed.

"What?" She looked at him, her eyes wide.

"You don't need to roll your eyes at your sister, and make things worse..."

"Oh, cause the fact that you and Mom are splitting isn't the worst thing to happen to me, ever?"

Finn sighed. He'd thought they had a break through the other night, when she spent the night with him at his parents. He didn't need this defiance. Life was hard enough without her attitude.

"Sheridan, it's not the time or the place. Please knock it off." She rolled her eyes again and Finn had to stop himself from screaming in frustration. He turned his attention to helping Autumn pick out some juice and moved on with the grocery shopping. When they were finished, he found what seemed to be the shortest line, though it seemed to be moving slowly. Sheridan huffed and puffed beside him, making her unhappiness known. Eager to have a moment from her broodiness, he fished his keys out of his pocket and handed them to his daughter.

"Just go wait in the car please." He said calmly. She smiled a little and took the keys from his hand. He watched her march out of the grocery store.

"Sheridan's mad Daddy." Autumn stated, watching her sister leave as well.

"I can see that Honey." He replied, his voice distant.

"Why Daddy?" She looked up at him with her big, amber eyes. Eyes that matched his in colour and her mother's in size.

"I don't know Autumn." He looked down at her and reached over to ruffle her hair. She shrugged and giggled, trying to get away from her Dad.

They were next in line, and Finn started to put all of their items on the belt.

"Daddy, can I get some gum?" Autumn asked, as he continued to load the groceries. He turned his attention to her and then the rack of gum beside the lane.

"Sure." He knew Rachel was going to kill him. She didn't like it when he gave Autumn sweets, not to mention gum. Sheridan had been six before she'd okayed the gum. She pointed out the one that had caught her eye, the grape Hubba Bubba and he added it to their order. When it was scanned, he handed it to his little girl who looked up at him with a huge smile on her face. If he got in shit from Rachel, so be it. He knew his girls were having a rough time, and if gum made it better even for a second, so be it. The smile she gave him was worth it.

They walked to the car and found Sheridan in the front seat, the car on with the radio blaring. Finn winced at the volume of the music as he got Autumn into her car seat. She immediately pouted as she chewed her gum, covering her ears from the noise. Finn closed the door and went back around to the front seat before he put the groceries in the trunk. He leaned over and turned the music down. He saw Sheridan scowl, but at this point he didn't really care. Sure Rachel would kill him for giving Autumn gum, but she would torture him and then kill him if she came home deaf. He was just getting to the trunk and had put the first bag in when he heard the music get louder. He sighed, and walked back around to his side of the car and leaned in, pulling the keys from the ignition and turning the radio off.

"Hey!" Sheridan shouted. "That was my favourite song!"

"Which I'm sure you have on your iPod. It's not necessary for it to be that loud." He backed out of the car as she scowled again. He finished putting the groceries in the trunk before he got in himself. When he started the car again and Sheridan immediately went to turn the radio on.

"No." He pushed her hand away. He didn't miss the look on her face again, but this time he just didn't care.

"You're not being fair."

"Whatever Sheridan. I don't really care about being fair at the moment." He sighed. He rubbed his face before beginning the drive to his parents house. It was going to be a long weekend.

* * *

Quinn and Rachel sat across from each other at the dining room table, each with a cup of tea in their hands.

"So wait," Quinn paused, looking at her best friend. "You guys had a fight, a really ugly one from what I'm understanding. And the next thing you know, three days later he's telling you he wants to separate and that you guys need space. Jesus Rachel."

Rachel nodded, running her thumb along the handle of her mug. "That's it in a nutshell."

"And you agreed to this?"

Rachel shrugged. "What was I supposed to say, no I don't want to separate, come back so we can fight more, say worse things to each other? So you can rip my heart out and stomp all over it once more? I don't know Quinn. I agreed because I'm tired. I'm tired of all the crap that I've had to deal with for the last 16 years. I mean our relationship wasn't always like this...but..." She sighed. "The last 8? 10 years? Have been so incredibly rocky." She sighed as she looked down at her coffee cup. "I just...when he said he wanted to separate I just let it happen. It's better for me, and in the end even though it doesn't seem like it, it'll be better for the girls and even for him. He can have his freedom that he seems to want so bad." She paused. "Doesn't mean it hurts any less."

Quinn reached across the table and patted her best friends arm.

"I'm so sorry Rachel. I just...I'm worried that you guys are making a mistake..."

"Don't you think I've thought about that? Tried to find a way to change this, make it stop? My entire marriage is crumbling, falling apart. My life is in complete ruins. Trust me, if there was a way to fix this, I would...but it's only been 2 and a half days...and I just...Quinn, I don't know what I want. I wish I could just, turn back time and my family would be back to normal." She broke as tears came flooding to her eyes again. "I just...I can't...Sheridan has been a disaster the last few days, she went to spend the night at Carole and Burt's with Finn the night we told them...I feel like I'm losing my little girl among everything else." She sobbed.

Quinn didn't really know what to say. She just sat there and listened to Rachel's sobs. Her heart broke for her best friend, and for her best friends family all at the same time. She'd known Rachel and Finn since high school. She actually started out as Finn's friend first, but once he had started bringing Rachel around to parties and get togethers the two women had grown close. And she'd been her only friend when she'd gotten pregnant in junior year. Quinn has lost a lot of friendships that year by sticking by Rachel, but she didn't regret it one bit. Rachel was her best friend.

She got up from her chair and walked over to her best friend. She enveloped her into a hug as she cried.

"It's going to be okay. It's going to be okay."

"How can you even say that?" Rachel sighed as she pulled away after a few minutes. "He's taken everything from me. And now, this weekend he even has my kids. The only thing I have left." She sobbed.

* * *

Sheridan was being impossible. The moment they stepped into Carole and Burt's she dashed up the stairs, claiming the spare bedroom she had slept in Thursday night as her own. Carole turned to look at Finn as he walked into the house, his arms laden with the grocery bags. Autumn even carried a couple of the lighter ones in an effort to help. Carole walked over and took some of the bags from Finn, as well as the two from Autumn and smiled at her youngest granddaughter.  
"Poppy's in the living room if you want to go see what he's up to Autumn!" She smiled brightly. Autumn nodded enthusiastically after her Nana took the bags from her. She took off her boots and coat before skipping into the living room to find her Poppy.

"So I take it Sheridan's not in a great mood this morning." Carole mentioned as she began to empty the bags of groceries.

"You don't even know the half of it Mom." Finn groaned. He looked at his mother who had her eyebrows raised in question. He went on to explain what had happened in the grocery store and then the parking lot afterwards.

"She's just being defiant for the sake of being defiant." He mumbled. Carole looked at her son again.

"I think you need to take into consideration that this whole separation between you and Rachel is affecting her too." Finn sighed as his mother's words reached his ears.

"I know. I can't let her behaviour slide though just because it might be a reaction to the split." He sighed. "I still need to be her parent."

Carole nodded. They worked in silence for a few minutes, putting the groceries away. "I can talk to her if you want."

Finn shrugged. "I appreciate that. But I think this is something I strictly need to deal with..." Carole nodded. She could appreciate that. When they finished with the groceries, Finn went off in search of Autumn. He'd decided he was going to leave Sheridan be, she would come down when she was ready. He found Autumn in the living room with his stepfather, just where Carole had sent her.

"Daddy! Look! We're watching Spongebob!" She giggled as he came to sit on the couch beside her. She immediately scrambled to sit on his lap. Finn kissed her head softly as she cuddled into him. This is what he loved the most.

* * *

Sunday morning dawned, and Rachel felt even more dread fill her being. She rolled over in bed, the light streaming through her bedroom window. She actually groaned as she rolled over, and her eyes widened when she saw it was already after 10am. After Quinn had left yesterday, she'd ventured out to the grocery store to pick up some necessities for her night at home alone, which included vegan ice cream and a bottle of wine. Both of which she'd emptied while she sat on the couch watching The Way We Were and sobbing. She pulled herself out of bed and slowly got dressed before heading downstairs. She still had a few hours before Finn would be bringing the girls home, and she kind of had a plan for the rest of her alone time. Autumn's birthday was coming up and she planned to pick up some gifts and have them safely tucked away before they came home. She also hoped it would distract her from the loneliness she was feeling. Shopping alone was normal for her. Maybe it would make her feel a little less abnormal. So when she was ready, she grabbed her purse, car keys and cell phone, heading out to Target before the cloud of sadness could lure her back to the couch.

Finn's morning started earlier than Rachel's, with Autumn padding into the room he was staying in and crawling into bed with him.

"Daddy." She poked his cheek, trying to wake him up. She did it over and over until he opened his eyes.

"Autumn bug, it's early." He opened his eyes to see that the alarm clock read 7:45AM.

"I'm not tired anymore Daddy." She grinned. She patted his cheek, the same spot she had poked seconds before. "Can you make me breakfast Daddy?" He groaned, rolling over.

"What would you like for breakfast?" He stared at her for a few moments.

"Can we have pancakes? I haven't had pancakes in forever!" She exclaimed happily. Finn had to laugh. If she could, Autumn would live off of pancakes. They were her favourite food.

"Sure. I think Nana has the fixings for some blueberry pancakes, how does that sound?" She clapped her hands in excitement as Finn slid his feet to the floor, before grabbing Autumn and giving her a piggy back ride to the kitchen.

They made the pancakes together, and just as he was setting a plate of cooled ones in front of Autumn, Sheridan stalked into the kitchen.

"Well good morning to you too sunshine." He tried to say cheerfully, but the look on her face was anything but cheerful.

"Did you make any normal pancakes?" She grumbled, looking at the plate on the counter. Finn furrowed his brow. He could have sworn Sheridan liked blueberry pancakes too.

"Well, no..." He started. He heard her huff. He stood up immediately and went to the stove. "But there's some uncooked batter still, without blueberries I can make you some if you'd like."

"It's fine. Wouldn't want you to be put out or anything." She sighed, taking a few pancakes and stacking them on a plate before dousing them in syrup. Finn sighed. Great start to the day. It was going to be a long one.

* * *

Rachel usually enjoyed shopping, especially when she was shopping for her girls. She picked out a couple of cute outfits for Autumn, as she seemed to be starting a growth spurt. She'd always been her tiny one, especially when you compared her baby pictures to Sheridan's. Sheridan had looked huge at 8 pounds, 10 ounces compared to Autumn's 6 pounds, 4 ounces. Her girls were as different as her and Finn.

She picked out a few toys for Autumn, smiling when she got her hands on an Anna doll from Frozen. She knew Autumn would go crazy for it. She picked out a few more toys that she knew Autumn would enjoy, along with a couple new books. She grabbed wrapping paper and bows along with a card. She wandered through the women's section, peeking at several different things, not really finding anything for herself before she headed through the grocery department for a few odds and ends she'd missed when she went last night. When she collected everything she needed, she headed for the check out with a sigh. It was kind of nice being out on a Sunday, shopping without having to tow Autumn with her. But she still missed her girls.

* * *

He didn't know what to do about Sheridan's mood. It was foul, and he felt like it was draining every ounce of energy he had. He was sitting at the table trying to do a puzzle with Autumn, while Sheridan stalked in and out of the room for one thing or another. She had said she would be in her room studying, but by his count she hadn't stayed in her room for longer than five minutes. His parents had gone out for the day to Kurt and Blaine's, which was a relief because he was sure one of them would have snapped on either or him or Sheridan by now. Not that he wasn't on the verge of it himself. She stomped away for the third time, and he had enough.

"Autumn, you keep working on finding the green pieces, I'll be right back." She nodded happily, munching on the carrots she had been eating for a snack.  
Finn headed up the stairs and knocked on Sheridan's door. He was met with silence, and when he knocked again he was met with an aggravated face on the other side of the door.

"What?" She snapped. "Can't you see I'm trying to study?" She crossed her arms over her chest and walked back t the bed where her books were laid out all over the place.

"Sit." He pointed to the bed. "We're going to talk."

"Don't want to."

"I don't really care what you want Sheridan. Sit." He almost growled, pointing at the bed. She raised an eye brow at him but sat down anyway. "Now, what is your problem this morning? Better yet, this entire weekend..."

She shrugged.

"Don't just shrug. What's wrong?"

She shrugged again. "This is weird."

"What?" He asked calmly.

"This." She waved her arm around, indicating the room. "Being here, with you, for the weekend. Not being home...it's weird."

Finn nodded. He got it. "I know it is. But that doesn't mean you need to take it out on me, or your sister or your grandparents. I know it's hard and I know it's different. It's something we're going to all have to get used to." He sighed. "I'm sorry you have to go through this Sheridan. I really am, but you're going to see that maybe it's for the best..."

"But I don't want it to be for the best. I want this to be over, so we can go back to being a family..."

"It's not that easy I'm afraid Sheridan. But I promise it will be okay in the end, no matter what." She nodded. Finn leaned over and kissed her head before standing up and looking at her again. "Just promise me you'll try and behave better. Your sister is watching you, and..."

"I know. I have to be a good example. I know." She sighed, brushing her hair from her eyes. "I'm sorry Dad."

"I know Sher. It's okay." He smiled a little. He patted her shoulder before leaving her to study.

* * *

It was just about 7:00 when the front door banged open and Rachel heard the distinct sound of her daughters stomping into the house.

"Mommy! We're home!" Autumn called. Rachel quickly left her bedroom where she had been finishing up with Autumn's birthday gifts and met the girls in the entry way of the house. Autumn immediately launched herself at Rachel, who barely had time to catch her. She swore she saw Finn smile a little at the exchange.

Sheridan smiled slightly at her mother, walked up to her and kissed her cheek before taking her bag up to her bedroom to resume studying. Rachel sent Autumn off to do the same, before she had a chance to launch into her stories about her weekend at Nana and Poppy's. They stood there awkwardly in the entry way of the house, both of them looking at each other at different times and turning away. Finally, Finn broke the silence as he dipped into his pocket before handing her the girls health cards. "I took them out of the backpack so nothing would happen to them and forgot to put them back" She nodded, taking the cards from him. She watched him rub the back of his neck.

"I had a talk with Sheridan this morning. She was in a terrible mood all weekend, I don't know if the talk helped but..."

"Thanks." She said softly, her eyes not leaving the cards. "She hasn't been very cooperative since Thursday night with me either. So maybe that will have helped."

He nodded. They fell silent.

"Would it be okay if I grabbed more of my stuff, my clothes mostly?" She bit her lip softly before she nodded. She couldn't really keep him from his own stuff. She watched as he toed off his boots, before heading for the stairs and their bedroom. She followed him, mainly for something to do. She checked in on Autumn, who was playing with her doll and Sheridan who looked to be studying before going into her bedroom. She found Finn emptying a few of his drawers into another duffle bag. He nodded to the presents when she came in.

"What did you get her?" He asked quietly. She arched an eyebrow, almost surprised that he noticed the pile of presents. She listed off everything she had gotten.

"You do remember that the party is next weekend, right? And it's falling on her actual birthday?" She asked softly.

He nodded softly. "I'll get her something, and remind my parents. 2pm on Saturday, like usual?" She nodded.

Finn left after collecting a few more things and saying goodbye to the girls. She locked the door behind him and leaned against it, closing her eyes. That was easy. Almost too easy.

* * *

It was the first time their entire family was going to be in the same room. She knew that his parents must know about the separation, as Finn was staying with them at the moment. She was sure that Puck knew all the gritty details as she knew Quinn really wasn't one to keep a secret. Same with her fathers, Kurt and Blaine. Everyone in the living room knew how much they had failed.

She tried to smile when she saw Autumn sitting on Finn's lap, bouncing a little bit as she sipped her juice box on his lap, a happy birthday hat perched on her head. Sheridan was sitting in the corner, texting away on her phone while the rest of her small family mingled together, talking and laughing. She sat down beside Finn, careful not to get to close to her estranged husband and touched her daughter's shoulder.

"Should we open presents now, Autumn bug?" She asked as she ran her fingers through her hair. Autumn turned to look at her and her eyes widened with excitement. She jumped in Finn's lap and she watched him grunt when she bounced particularly hard. Finn shifted her to sit between them, as he got up from the couch and walked over to the pile of presents in the corner of the room. He brought them over by the armful, and Autumn ripped through them with gusto. Among the gifts that Rachel had gotten her, she was gifted with many other great things from all of their family members. Finn's gift came last, and was in a large box.

Autumn looked up at him perplexed as she slid off the couch to open it, but dove into the package just as quickly as the others. She squealed when she tore open the paper and saw the picture on the box. It was a Princess bike.

Rachel had to hold in her gasp when she saw the box. She hadn't been expecting him to get her a bike, it wasn't something he had mentioned. She would have thought he would have run it by her first. A bike was a big deal.

"Daddy I love it!" She squealed as she jumped a little bit, clapping her hands. "Can we take it out of the box now? "She looked at him with wide eyes. "Please!"

"Sweetie, I think it has to be put together." Rachel sighed, staring at the box almost menacingly.

"Well, let's put it together now than! Daddy, get your tools!" She exclaimed.

"My tools are at Nana and Poppy's Autumn" Finn said softly. They both watched as Autumn's eyes fell to the ground, and it seemed like there were tears forming.

Sheridan stepped in and crouched beside her sister. "Autumn, there's snow outside still! You can't ride it anyway!"

Rachel smiled at her older daughter, who came in for the save. Sheridan didn't smile back. Rachel sighed.

After cake and ice cream, the family cleared out leaving just Rachel, Finn and the girls alone at the house. He was helping her do the dishes that were left over from the party when she just couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Just had to get her a fucking bike, didn't you" She mumbled as she past him another glass to be rinsed. Finn immediately tensed.

"Excuse me?"

"It's fucking January Finn, you just had to get her a fucking bike. Something she has to _wait_ to use."

"Well sorry for thinking outside the box Rachel. Something she could use down the road." She shrugged, turning back to the dishes. "She likes it at least."

She bit her lip. She didn't know what he meant by that. Autumn had loved everything she had got her to.

"Are you trying to say your gift was better than mine?"

He held his hands out f the water. "Didn't say anything. Just said she liked it. Which is all I wanted. To get her something she likes. Plus, isn't it like tradition to get them a bike for their fourth birthday?"

Rachel dropped the sponge in the soapy water and dropped her head. She could feel Finn's eyes on her. He was right. They had gotten Sheridan a bike for her fourth birthday too. And she had had to wait just like Autumn was going to have to wait with hers.

"Can you just go please?" She sighed.

"The dishes..."

"Just go please." She whispered. "You can say bye to the girls, but can you please just go?" He nodded and dried his hands on the dish towel before leaving the room.

She swallowed hard as he left the room and held off letting her tears fall until she was sure he was gone. Yes, it was like tradition. A tradition she was supposed to be a part of. But he had done it behind her back, and that stung like a bitch. This wasn't getting any easier. Wasn't it supposed to get easier over time?

* * *

_**Thoughts? **_


	8. Better View

**How's this for a quick turn around, huh? I actually had this almost half done as your reviews for the last chapter were pouring in. A lot of you have asked if this is going to end happily. I'm not going to say yes, and I'm not going to say no. One of the writers (I cannot for the life of me remember who said it and I apologize if I murder the quote but the thought is there) said that glee was not just about the beginning, or the end. It was about a whole lot of middle. So concentrate on the middle for now, alright? Since you know where we started and will eventually know when we end. Another review asked about number of chapters. I have ideas for up to 22 chapters, but that may change. I'm going for quality over quantity with this one. I'm really excited that you guys are enjoying this one (happily or not) thus far. Stick with me, I promise it will be worth all the bumps we're going to have to go through. But we'll do it together.  
OH! And I guess I should have mentioned a long time ago that this is more AU than anything. So there was no Quinn and Finn ever, Rachel moved to Mckinley the September of junior year etc. Forget what you actually know about glee. Though I did rewatch "Heart" to get her Dads in my mind again. (PS - I really hope they're in tonight's episode!).**

Anyways...that's my rant for the day. I don't own Finn, Rachel or anyone original. I do own Autumn, Sheridan and the plot. Enjoy another flashback into the past! 

* * *

**Chapter 8: ****_April 2011  
_**_It had been a week since she'd had the blow out with her father's. A week where she hadn't heard anything from them. They had to drive passed her house every day to get to the high school, and every time they did Rachel felt her heart fall to the pit of her stomach. Every time they drove by, Finn would take her hand and squeeze it gently to lend his support. She'd cried the first few nights, her life was a mess and the fight with her father's had been a big part of that. She never imagined they would react like they did, they had always been a close family and they had ALWAYS promised to be there for her through thick and thin. But as she was quickly learning, sometimes life wasn't quite as it seemed. Her father's had kicked her out because she wanted to keep her baby. It was all she could think about. She couldn't concentrate at school, she couldn't focus during glee. She couldn't even really think about the baby at all. All she could think about was how her life was now turned upside in the worst way and she wasn't even sure what to do about it._

But she tried to put on a happy face today. It was a happy day. Or it should be a happy day. Dr. Saxons at Planned Parenthood had recommended a local obstetrician for them to see in their appointment last week. When Monday morning had come, Rachel had phoned and made an appointment. They'd given her a Friday afternoon appointment and that day was today. And if the websites were right, there was a chance she would hear her baby's heartbeat today. But as she stood in the bathroom brushing her teeth for the second time (because the first time had led to her dry heaving in the toilet), she couldn't fathom surviving the next 7 months of this. Everything she had read said that this sick feeling didn't last the entire pregnancy, mostly ending after the first three months. She only hoped her pregnancy was normal. Cause nothing else about her life was normal.  
Finn knocked on the bathroom door first before poking his head in.

"Hey babe, you almost ready to go?" She turned around, her tooth brush hanging from the side of her mouth. His face made an O shape and he walked in, wrapping his arms around her waist. He leaned his head on her shoulder, his hands coming to rest on her stomach. "Did you get sick again?"

She nodded slightly and leaned over to spit out the plain toothpaste. She wiped her mouth on a face cloth and met Finn's eyes in the mirror. "Yeah. the mint toothpaste did it." Finn sighed a little bit and kissed her head. He didn't say anything, he didn't have to. She knew he felt bad.

When she was ready, they headed down the stairs. Finn had made her a slice of toast, dry with nothing on it to prevent her from throwing up again, while he ate a poptart. She scrunched up her nose as she watched him devour the chocolate pastry. When they were finished, Finn collected their bags and was about to head out to his truck when his mother stopped them. She held out a note to each of them.

Rachel looked at her with a strange look. "It's a note. To get out of last period. Your appointments at 2:00, right? You'll need to be excused early. You should leave at 1:30 to get there on time."

Finn took the notes from his mother's hand. "Thanks Mom. We hadn't thought about that." Carole smiled at them both.

"I assumed you hadn't" She smiled. She patted Rachel's arm. "Have a good day at school, can't wait to hear about the appointment."

They both nodded at Carole and Finn leaned over to kiss her cheek before leading Rachel out of the house towards the truck.

They hadn't told anyone at school. The only person there, aside from them that knew what was going on was Kurt. He'd sworn to secrecy, and so far in the week that had passed he had kept his word. Both Finn and Rachel appreciated that to no end. It was hard enough dealing with the morning sickness without adding anymore undue stress.

They tried to keep a low profile. They kept doing the things they had been doing, he walked her to class and she met him at his locker before lunch. They didn't want to let on to anyone that anything had changed. No one needed to know that they had now given themselves another title to go along with jock, glee geek etc. It had to be their little secret...at least until it became a bigger issue. Rachel prayed that they could keep it a secret for much longer.

And today was no different. He walked her to class, kissed her cheek and walked off to his. She smiled a little as she watched him go, touching her cheek where he had kissed before she walked into her first period English class.

She was just getting into the lesson that her teacher was droning on about, something about Romeo and Juliet and unrequited love when she got a whiff of something foul. She whipped her head around, trying to find the source as her stomach rolled. When she didn't see anything but the smell continued, she shot her hand up, interrupting the lesson and demanding a bathroom pass. The slip barely hit her hand as she tore out of the room searching for a bathroom. She made it to the stalls just in time, throwing open the first one and heaving until she couldn't anymore. Tears burned in her eyes as she sat back against the door.

"When will this end?" She mumbled, closing her eyes.

"Rachel? Are you in here?" A familiar voice called. She recognized it as Quinn Fabray. She was the girlfriend of Finn's best friend Noah, and in the last few months she guessed the two of them had become close. Quinn was one of her only friends outside of Finn, and the other members of the glee club. Finn and Rachel had actually appealed to both Quinn and Noah and gotten them to join as well.

"Yeah." She stood up on shaky legs and left the stall, heading to the sink to splash water on her face.

"Are you alright?" She asked, a worried look crossing her face. "Do you want me to find Finn?"

Rachel shook her head. "I'm okay. Just...been battling a stomach bug and I smelled...what was that smell, anyway?" She screwed up her nose.

"Ms. Ross' breakfast sandwich. Pretty sure it was made with deviled eggs." Rachel's cheeks blew in and out as she tried to control the feelings rising in her stomach. Quinn reached out to touch her back. "Are you sure you don't want me to get Finn?"  
Rachel nodded again. She could get through this herself. She needed to be strong.

By the time they got to lunch, Rachel was feeling exhausted. She leaned against Finn's locker as she waited for him to appear. She closed her eyes for just a second, praying to feel better.

"Hey babe...wow, you okay?" She nodded slowly as she opened her eyes.

"Just...tired. Ms. Ross' had a bad sandwich in class and it got the best of me..." He placed his hands on her cheeks and leaned closer to look in her eyes.

"Babe, why didn't you text me?" She shrugged, looking away from him.

"I didn't want to bother you. Plus I left my phone in my locker"

"Oh Rach, you could never bother me." He hugged her close to his chest and kissed her head. "I love you, you know."

She looked up at him , her eyes watering. She still wasn't used to hearing him say it. "I love you too babe." He kissed her head again as they walked towards the cafeteria. She leaned against him as they walked, her hand firmly tucked in his. They found their friends and Finn left her there while he went to grab their lunch.

"You alright now?" Quinn asked softly, looking at her as she leaned her head on her arms.

"Yeah. Just tired." She tried to smile. Quinn eyed her friend before turning back to the conversation she was having with Kurt. Rachel was relieved when Finn arrived, a bottle of water just for her. She thanked him through a smile and kissed his cheek when he sat down.

She sat through lunch, munching slowly on the salad Finn had gotten her, without dressing of course. She was seemingly able to keep it down. When the period was over, Finn stood up and collected their trash before they had to walk to their one period that they had together. Quinn slid into his space.

"You'd tell me if you were hiding something, right" She said softly.

Rachel's eyes grew large and she nodded her head at Quinn. "I would. Just there's nothing to say..." Quinn eyed her up and down and nodded, just as Finn came back to walk her to class. 

* * *

_He met her in the hallway by her locker at 1:30. He smiled when he saw her walk down the hallway towards him.  
"Ready to go?" He asked softly as she came closer to him. She nodded and leaned into his side to give him a side hug before going into her locker to collect her stuff. She opened her locker and immediately grabbed for her phone. She almost dropped it when the screen showed a missed call and a text from her Daddy._

"Rach, what..." She turned the phone so the screen faced him. She watched him immediately bit his lip.

She started to shake as she turned the phone back towards her, looking intently at the screen. She felt Finn's hand on her back as he reached around her to grab her backpack. He shoved her books in the bag and guided her out of the school towards the truck. Neither of them said anything as Rachel continued to look at the phone.

"Rach, babe, are you going to read it?"

She shook her head. "No...I don't know. Should I? What if it's mean?" She bit the inside of her cheek and looked at Finn as he started the truck. All he could do was shrug.

"Won't know until you see it, will you?" He shrugged again.

She placed her phone down on the seat between them. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"I'll read it after the appointment." She offered him a tiny smile, and folded her hands in her lap. 

* * *

_Finn couldn't help but bounce his foot up and down against the floor as they waited in the examination room. He wasn't nervous before, when they got here and he helped Rachel fill out the paperwork. But now that they were __**here**__ and in the actual exam room with pictures of developing fetus' and stuff and life sized models he was nervous. Really nervous. Rachel for her part didn't look very nervous at all. If she was, she was hiding it really well._

The door opening caused Finn to sit up straighter on the stool and grab for Rachel's hand.

"Well hello there, I'm Dr. Mather. Rachel Berry?" She looked straight at Rachel who nodded. "And who is this?" She turned to look straight at Finn. He felt his palms get sweaty as the young doctor looked at him. He felt like she was immediately judging him, them.

"I'm Finn. Finn Hudson. Rachel's boyfriend." He smiled as he stuck out his other hand to shake the doctors hand. That's what he was supposed to do right, shake the doctors hand?  
Dr. Mather smiled at him before turning to Rachel. A nurse had already come in and taken a bunch of information from Rachel, which included all of the same information they had given the lady at Planned Parenthood last week.

"We'll start with an examination, and then we'll check the baby's heartbeat. Sound good?" She looked between the two teenagers who both nodded at her. Finn tried not to stare as Dr. Mather checked Rachel over, she squeezed his hand during the internal potion and kept her eyes focused on his.

"I love you" He whispered. They were the only words he knew that would sooth her, he didn't know what else to say to her, how to express his feelings. His entire mind was jumbled and he was sure hers was just as crazy as his if not more so.

"Very good." Dr. Mather pushed the stool she was sitting on back as she snapped off her gloves. She immediately went for the machine that sat in the corner. "Everything looks good Rachel, let's take a listen now, shall we?" Rachel nodded as she pulled up her shirt so it bunched just under her breasts. "This is going to be cold, but the gel allows us to hear the baby's heartbeat and later on will be used for ultrasounds." They both nodded at her explanation before the gel was applied to Rachel's flat stomach. She gasped at the temperature, which caused Finn to smile slightly. Everyone was quiet for a few seconds, before a steady thump, thump, thump was heard.

Tears immediately came to Rachel's eyes as they listened to the steady, yet fast heartbeat of their baby.

"Holy shit babe." He whispered. "That's...there's a baby in there..." She looked at him as the tears brimmed her eyes. He leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to her lips just as Dr. Mather pulled the instrument away from Rachel's stomach.

"Everything sounds good Rachel. Keep taking your vitamins as you have been, and I'll see you in a month. If you have any questions, feel free to call the office." They both nodded as Dr. Mather handed her some paper towel to wipe off her stomach before leaving them to go to her next patient.

They made an appointment on their way out, and walked quietly out to the truck in silence.  
"We're." He paused. "We're having a baby." Finn said softly as Rachel slid into the passenger seat. She looked at him, an inquisitive look on his face. As if they hadn't figured that much out this past week, with the morning sickness and such. He must have seen her face, because he expanded his thought. "I mean, I always knew that we were having a baby but hearing the heart beat, it just made it feel like we're REALLY having a baby." He gave her a small smile, and was relieved when she gave him one back. He leaned over and placed a soft kiss on her lips before moving back to his side and starting the car. He caught her looking at her phone.

"Are you going to check it now?" He asked softly. She shrugged. "I'm right here Rach, I'm not going to let anything happen..." She smiled softly at him.

"Alright." She whispered. She slid her finger across the text message alert and waited a second for it to open.

_**Rachel, Please call us. We love you and want to talk. - Papa & Daddy. **___

She showed Finn the message and waited for him to say something. Her Daddy had called her as well.

"Did they leave a message?" He asked softly. She flicked through her phone, scrolling over to where her voicemail was. She nodded. She dialed in, and placed the phone on speaker as the message began to play, her Daddy's voice coming through the small speaker.

_**Rachel, it's Daddy. Your Papa and I really want to talk to you. We miss you, and we love you and we're so so sorry about what happened the other night. Please come home. Or at least call us to let us know you're alright. We love you Star. **___

The message ended and Rachel closed her phone and she leaned back into the seat. Finn stared at her for a few minutes before speaking.

"Rach..."

"What should I do Finn?" He sighed as he rubbed his face. He didn't know what to tell her. But it did seem to him that her parents were trying. What they were trying was left to be determined, but it seemed like they were attempting to communicate with her nonetheless.

"If I go..." She started softly. "I don't want to go by myself...They can be manipulative when they want to be." He nodded his head. From what he knew about the Berry's, he believed that. Both were successful businessmen, and they got that way somehow.

"Here's what we'll do" He said after a few minutes of silence. "Your Dads work from home, right?"

"Mostly." She nodded.

"Call them back, tell them we're coming over for dinner. We'll see what they have to say, together. That way you're not alone and if you need or want to leave afterwards you can, if you want to stay there that's great too..."

She nodded at his words,, but still bit her lip softly. He could see the worry framing her features.

"Hey." He touched her chin and turned her to look at him. "It's going to be fine. I'll be right there. I love you." 

* * *

_It was fine.  
She called her Dads from the parking lot of the Doctor's office, and they had been thrilled to hear from her. They were even fine with Finn coming for dinner as well, and had promised them both take-out from the local Chinese restaurant by their house. They killed time by going over to the mall and getting smoothies from the food court and playing around at Target, getting lost in the toy section. She knew Finn was trying to take her mind off of the dinner with her Dads, and she loved him for it. She watched him get excited over Ninja Turtle action figures and Tonka trucks. They walked through the baby section, each of their eyes wide as they inconspicuously browsed all of the things they would need for their baby by the time it was born._

Before they knew it, it was after 4, and they were due at her parents by 5. They had just enough time to stop at his house, clean up and head over. Rachel had collected some of her stuff, like her school books to take with her just in case she decided to stay at home that night, if the dinner went well that is. Luckily for them, his mother wasn't home yet from work to ambush them about the appointment. Finn left a hasty note on the counter about going over to her house for dinner and they left.

When they pulled in the driveway, Finn killed the ignition as Rachel grabbed his hand.  
"Whatever happens, I'm on your side. Alright? I've got your back." He smiled. She gave him a small one back and leaned over to kiss him before getting out of the truck. She waited for him before she headed up the pathway to the house and opened the front door.

"Hello? Daddy? Papa?" She called as they walked into the house. She pulled Finn in behind her and shut the door quietly. They heard footsteps above them and moments later both Leroy and Hiram appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh Rachel..." They both seemed to sigh at exactly the same time. They didn't make a move to come closer, but didn't back away from Rachel and Finn either.

"Daddy, Papa." She said softly. She bit her lip and she felt Finn squeeze her hand as her Daddy stepped forward and opened his arms to her. She dropped Finn's hand as tears welled in her eyes and she walked into her Dad's arms. She leaned her head on his chest as a few tears came to her eyes just as her Daddy wrapped his arms around her. Her Papa joined them for a moment as Finn stood there, his arms crossed over his chest for a moment with a small uneasy smile on his face. When the three of them pulled apart, Rachel backed away from her Dads and walked back over to Finn, grabbing his hand in hers before she leaned into him.

"Well..." Hiram clapped his hand and looked at the couple in front of him.

"We should talk" Leroy said softly as he looked at Hiram and then at Finn and Rachel. She clutched Finn's hand in her as she looked at her parents. Finn looked down at her as she nodded. Leroy gestured for them to follow him to the living room. Finn immediately felt like his blood pressure was rising. He sat on the couch beside Rachel as she curled into him, continuing to hold his hand tightly.

Both her father's perched themselves on the recliners that framed the fireplace while facing the couch.

"We...we're afraid we owe you Rachel, well you both, a huge apology." Hiram started. Rachel sniffled, clutching Finn's hand as she listened to her father's talk. "I'm afraid that we reacted in the worst possible way when you needed us the most. This...situation..." Finn felt the hair rise on the back of his neck. Situation? Hiram seemed to notice this. "Situation isn't a great word to use, I know. But I can't think of another one to use right now. We never imagined that this would happen to you Star..."

"Daddy" She paused to look at Finn. "We didn't really plan for this to happen. We were careful but even with all the precautions in the world it...it just happened."

"Mr and Mr. Berry, I know it's shocking. It shocked the hell out of me too. But this past week has made me really realize how much I love Rachel and care for Rachel, and I'm beginning to love our baby. I mean, it's our baby. That's something really special, right there." Finn said softly. He reached over and placed his hand on Rachel's stomach. He turned his head to look at Rachel. "She's something special." He leaned his head toward Rachel. He placed a quick peck on her cheek.

"Well, we're just very sorry about how we reacted. We were just taken aback. Announcing you were pregnant was the last thing we imagined on Sunday night, but while you were away, we realized how out of line we were. And if you want to keep your baby, like you say you do than we'll support you all the way." Finn felt Rachel relax against him when the words left Leroy's lips.

"Papa..." She sighed happily.

"We just want to be sure that this is what you want. Being a parent is hard, whether your 16 or 30, like when we had you" Leroy smiled.

Rachel turned to look at Finn, and held his hand tightly in hers. "Papa, we're sure. We heard the heartbeat today and...it was...magical."

"Sirs, we know it's going to be hard. But we made the baby, it should be our responsibility to take care of it. I couldn't imagine someone else taking care of our son or daughter."

Both Hiram and Leroy nodded.

"We're just going to need your support." Rachel added softly.

"Of course. But what about work, school, money..." Hiram asked.

"My stepdad, already has me helping out at the shop he owns. So through the summer I'll be getting more hours during the summer and school breaks"

"And I'm not due until December, so I'm going to just finish out the year and take it as it comes. Maybe get a jo...'

Finn cut her off. "No, your job this summer is to grow our baby" Finn smiled at her, swallowing a lump in his throat. She smiled at him with watery eyes. "It's my responsibility to make money."

"What about when the baby comes?" Leroy asked.

"We...we haven't really thought about that yet. But...that's when we're going to need you guys the most, and Finn's parents have already said..."

Leroy stopped her. "Star, whatever you need. We're here. Just name it."

Rachel relaxed more into Finn's embrace. They sat there together, discussing the baby and school and anything they could think of. Her father's were making an effort to get to know Finn as they sat there, her Daddy asking him about football and his favourite sports teams. Dinner arrived shortly after, Finn and Rachel had a moment alone while her father's went into the kitchen to dish it out. Finn leaned over and kissed her head, pulling her into his lap a little bit.

"See, it's going to be okay." He kissed her head again.

She sighed as she leaned into him. "I know." She sighed.

They joined her father's in the dining room and the smell of the Chinese food hit Rachel like a ton of bricks. Her stomach rolled and her cheeks puffed out as Finn looked at her. He brought his hands to the side of her face and looked in her eyes.

"You're okay. You're okay." He whispered. Both her father's watched the interaction with slight smiles on their faces. He reached over to the table and grabbed the glass of water her father's had already poured and passed it to her. She took a small sip, breathing deeply while Finn stayed close by. When she blew out a breath and the colour started to return to face, all three men in the room breathed a sigh of relief.

"Has the sickness been bad?' Hiram asked as they all sat down at the table.

"It's been really bad this week. It started before we found out though, and I had thought it was just the flu..." She sighed. Both her Dads nodded.

After dinner was finished, Rachel and Finn decided that it was going to be okay for Rachel to stay at home tonight.

"You sure you going to be okay?" He implored, looking in her eyes. He held her face in his hands as she stared at him.

"I will. I think they're okay now." She bit her lip a little bit.

"Will you call me, if you need me?"

"Of course."

"I mean it. Anything at all."

"I know Finn." She grinned a little bit at him. "I love you."

"I love you too." He kissed her softly, his hands running down to her hips. He held her for a moment as they just shared a look.

"I'll be fine Finn. I promise." She giggled.

"I know. I know." He sighed. "I'll pick you up for school tomorrow."

She nodded again as he kissed her one more time before leaving the house. She watched as he walked down the pathway to his truck. He waved at her as he got in, and she watched until he pulled away. She closed the door and leaned against it, her eyes closed. Maybe everything was going to be okay. 


	9. We're Changing Like The Tides

**No long winded author's note this time. Just enough to tell you that I only own Autumn and Sheridan, and the plot. Everyone else is at Ryan Murphy's mercy.**

* * *

**Chapter 9: April 2027**

Rachel felt like time was flying by and there was no way for her to stop it. The snow began to melt on the ground, bringing warmer weather to the surface. The warmer weather meant that life was moving on, even if they weren't ready for it. They had sunk into some sort of routine now, Finn took the girls every other weekend and picked Autumn up from pre-school on Wednesdays so she could work later during production days if she needed to and Sheridan could devote her time to glee club without having to worry about babysitting. They'd fallen into a groove, and while there was a certain comfort that came with those feelings, it also didn't sit well with Rachel at all. They shouldn't be falling into a routine, there shouldn't be a routine...at least not this one. Their old routine was just fine. Or so she had thought.

She got out of bed on a Saturday morning, where the rain was pouring down and pounding her windows. She sighed as she swung her legs over her bed. It would rain today. She hated driving in the rain. She hated driving in the rain, with the girls. It scared her, always had. But she'd have to suck it up today.  
_Be a mom Rachel._ She mumbled to herself. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and padded out of the room and towards Autumn's room. She shook the little girl awake, before going to her closet to collect her ballet costumes for the afternoon recital. It was 9am, she had to get Autumn bathed, hair done and make up on before throwing her in the car and making it to Columbus for the recital by 1. The actual thing didn't start til 3, but Autumn had to be there for a quick rehearsal and all that tedious crap she felt was too much for a 4 year old. But she'd get her there, with a huge smile on her face and if it was the last thing she did. She didn't even understand why the recital was so far away, there were so many places they could hold it here in Lima. But Rachel wasn't going to complain. She'd just deal with it. Finn was going to pick Sheridan up at 1, so they made it there in time. There was no need for Sheridan to be there any earlier, and Finn had agreed to help her out even though it technically "wasn't his weekend". She hadn't even had to fight with him about it, and it was much easier to just not bring her early. He'd just agreed when she'd asked. Sheridan would just make matters worse and cause her more stress than necessary just as she had been for the last few weeks.  
"Mommy, is it dance day?" Autumn looked up at her from her bed, her eyes large and her hair all over the place.  
Rachel turned around and grinned at her daughter. "It is. What would my little dancer like for breakfast?" She smiled as she watched Autumn tap her chin for a few minutes before declaring that she'd like some scrambled eggs for her meal, with chocolate milk of course. Rachel nodded and grabbed the costume, taking it downstairs with her as Autumn followed her out of the room.

"Mommy, when do we have to go to dance?" She asked as she twirled down the hallway, following her into the kitchen.

"Well, you have to be in Columbus by 1, so me and you have to leave the house by 11:15 at the latest." She smiled at her daughter as she moved to get the eggs from the fridge. She heard Autumn hum a tune to herself as she walked into the dining room, climbing onto her chair and she had to chuckle. Autumn flipped through a book that had been left on the table as Rachel cooked her breakfast. She started the Keurig to brew herself a cup of coffee while she finished making the breakfast. She was just dishing the eggs out onto a plastic plate for Autumn when Sheridan appeared at the doorway.

"I don't want eggs." She stabbed as she walked towards the fridge, opening it to peer into the depths.

"Well, good morning to you too. If you want something that isn't eggs, by all means make something else."

"What crawled up your ass this morning?" She grabbed the carton of orange juice from the fridge and slammed the door shut behind her.

"Sheridan!" Rachel slammed the spatula down on the counter and spun around to look at her daughter, who was preparing to take a swig from the juice container. Rachel reached for the carton and ripped it from her hands.

This is how it had been for the last few weeks. It was always a battle of wills between Rachel and Sheridan. For Rachel, it was weird. Her and Sheridan had always had a great relationship, and to have this turn of events was like dealing with a different child altogether. Finn wasn't much help in these instances, he wasn't there when the battles went down. He'd promised that he had talked to Sheridan, spoken to her about her attitude. And while he had claimed to have breakthroughs with her, she didn't seem to reap any of those benefits. Sheridan continued to be hostile and combative with her at most turns and Rachel was nearly at the end of her rope with her.

"Hey!" She exclaimed, trying to grab the juice carton back.

"I'm really not in the mood for your sass this morning Sheridan. It is not welcomed, nor is it needed..." Rachel paused, her brows knitting together. "Your language is also extremely inappropriate."

"Your language is inappropriate" Sheridan mimicked as she stomped over to the cupboard and grabbed a glass.

"You know what, that's enough. I've had enough with your crap and it's already not even 10am yet. Please, take whatever it is you want for breakfast and leave the room." Sheridan rolled her eyes as Rachel grabbed the plate of eggs and brought it into the dining room to for Autumn before going back to grab her chocolate milk. Rachel grabbed her coffee, fixing it up and grabbing a yogurt while Sheridan made what looked to be a smoothie. Rachel left her be, and went to join Autumn.

"Mama, Sheridan's mean." Autumn said softly as she munched on some of her eggs as she flipped through the book she had been looking at.

"Sheridan's not mean baby." Rachel said gently as the blender rumbled in the kitchen. "She's just...she's sad, I think" Rachel was just grasping at straws. She didn't really know how Sheridan was feeling, it wasn't like she ever talked to her anymore. But she didn't want Autumn to think that Sheridan was mean. She wasn't mean, she was just going through a rough patch. Just like herself. The blender stopped and Rachel heard Sheridan stomp out of the room. Rachel sighed as she finished both her yogurt and her coffee, leaving Autumn in the dining room to finish up the rest of her eggs. She sighed when she walked into the kitchen and saw the mess that Sheridan had left behind. She rubbed her face hard before setting about tidying the kitchen up before she corralled Autumn back up the stairs and into the bath.

Once she was bathed, smelling like strawberries and bubblegum, Rachel laid out clothes for Autumn to dress herself in before going to get herself ready. She'd showered last night, knowing that she wouldn't have time to do so this morning between dealing with Autumn and Sheridan's inevitable moodiness.

"Mommmy...come do my hair now pleassssssssssssse" She heard Autumn singsong from her room, just as the stereo in Sheridan's room started up. Rachel immediately closed her eyes for a second, compelling herself to take a deep cleansing breath. She walked out of her room and found Autumn grinning in her doorway, an excited look beaming at her. Rachel smiled and led her to the bathroom, where with practiced precision she pulled and combed Autumn's hair into a neat bun on the top of her head. When she was finished, she admired her handy work in the mirror before applying makeup to her small face.

"There, all pretty" Rachel smiled.

"I look like a princess!" Autumn exclaimed, smacking her lips from the lipstick Rachel had applied there.

"You do!" Rachel kissed her head softly.

"Do you think Daddy will like my bun?" Autumn turned towards Rachel with her big, amber eyes. Rachel gave her a small smile and kissed her head.

"He will baby." She sighed as she nodded.

"Can I go watch TV now?"

Rachel nodded slowly. Autumn hopped off the top of the toilet and flew out of the bathroom. "Don't mess up your makeup! We're leaving soon!" She called after her daughter. The music from Sheridan's room got louder as the words left her mouth. She sighed, quickly brushing her own teeth and getting herself ready to head out. When she was satisfied with her appearance she left the bathroom and walked to Sheridan's room, knocking heavily on the door, enough to hopefully be heard over the loud rock music she was playing. She didn't recognize the music, her daughter was usually all popp-y and happy. But this dark, rocky music? This was new. She shouldn't be so surprised. She knocked a few more times before trying to the handle, which was locked. She groaned immediately. She resented Finn at the moment, who had mistakenly bought the stupid handle with a lock on it a few years ago when the old one finally broke.

"Sheridan, open the damn door." She cursed and immediately bit her lip. She knocked again another two times before the door swung open.

"What?"

Rachel immediately sighed. "I'm leaving with Autumn. Your father will be here to pick you up at 1. Please be ready. Presentable." Rachel sighed. "And please don't forget to lock the door behind you."

"Whatever." She mumbled.

Rachel sighed and went to say something else, but chose not to. "I love you Sheridan." She heard Sheridan grunt something that she wanted to believe was a response, but she could barely make it out as the bedroom door slammed in her face.

* * *

They'd bought the tickets for the recital months ago. Before Christmas if she remembered correctly. Before the separation. Before this...odd twilight zone they were coming to terms with. That's how she told time now, determined how much time had passed - with events that had had happened previous to and after the separation. It probably wasn't healthy, or good but it was how she was dealing and that really was the only thing that mattered. Her survival through this time was the most important, her and the girls survival.

Her father's were coming, along with Burt, Carole, Kurt and Blaine. Everyone was coming to see her little star dance in her two numbers. Everyone was there to support her. That brought a smile to Rachel's face. It made her happy to know that even through the turmoil that was surrounding them, the family could still get together to support each other. She was the last one to get out to their assigned seats as she had stayed with Autumn until the very last minute. She bit her lip as she walked down the aisle, coming up to their row. The only seat that was open in the 9 seats she had bought was right beside Finn. And she had to climb over him to get to it, to boot. She sighed when she approached and saw Sheridan sitting in the aisle seat, arms crossed over her chest with black eyeliner lining her pretty brown eyes. That was new. She sighed again and clutched the flowers she had bought Autumn in her hand and tried to squeeze by Sheridan who as usual, was as uncooperative as ever. Nothing seemed to have changed from this morning. Awesome.  
Her heart pounded as she squeezed between Finn and the row in front of them. She plopped down in the seat, turning to the rest of their family and exchanging smiles, waves and hellos with everyone. She was squished between Finn and her Papa. She was about to say something to her Papa when she felt Finn turn to her.

"I tried to save the aisle seat for you, but she insisted. She's in quite a mood."

"Has been from the moment she woke up." She mumbled.

"I'll try and talk to her on the way..."

"A lot of good that'll do..." She mumbled.

"Rachel..."

She held up her hand. "Sorry. Not the time. We're here to watch Autumn dance. Be as civil as possible." He nodded in agreement to her words as she turned her attention to her Papa.

Finn was grabbing for the program that was rolled in the cup holder in front of her when she noticed it. At first she thought it was the lights that were playing tricks on her. She was sure of it. She couldn't be seeing, what she was seeing...could it be? She tried to be subtle, but when he reached his left hand forward again to put the program back she was sure she was right. There was no glint from the cool silver metal but there was what looked like to be a soft impression from where the ring had once sat.

He had taken his wedding ring off.

She felt her heart begin to pound hard in her chest, the thumping reaching all the way up to her ears. She felt her cheeks flush and the inevitable anxiety reaching her features. She bit her lip as her stomach rolled. When would he stop effecting her like this? It had almost been three months. She should...he should...Her head felt like it was swimming. Everything was changing, and was continuing to change. She felt like she was going to be sick. She looked down at the floor, slumping over so her head rested in her hands for a minute.

"Rachel, you alright?" Leroy asked as he glanced at her.

"I'm fine." She smiled as she sat up. "Just hot" She fanned herself with her own program. Leroy gave her a careful look just as the lights began to dim and the show began to start. She sunk into her chair a little bit as the show kicked off. She only hoped the show would take her mind off this new revelation.

* * *

The first act wasn't even finished when she heard Finn having words with a grumbling Sheridan. She felt him move his arm and pull out his wallet from his back pocket and watched him hand Sheridan a few dollars before Sheridan got up and stalked away.

"You know, you can't buy her love." She mumbled.

"Rachel, come on..." He groaned, his voice laced with exasperation. "She wouldn't shut up. And I wanted her to just stop talking. "

"Now you know what I deal with on a daily basis." She mumbled back.

"Can we talk about this later?" He whispered, his voice defeated.

"Right. Later." She sighed. Which means never, she thought instead. She tried to resist crossing her own arms over her chest and pouting, much like Sheridan had been. Life had become so strange.

But she didn't have time pout, as Autumn's first number was next. She sat up straighter, the palms of her hands on her knees as she searched for her little butterfly. Her grin spread when she spotted her and she swore she saw Autumn's face light up when she spotted them too. Finn sat beside her, his phone up in the air as he snapped a few pictures during the dance. She grinned like a fool as she watched Autumn twirl and skip in a circle with the rest of her group. She sighed happily when the number was over and leaned back in her chair again.

"Oh Rachel, she reminds me of you" Her Leroy breathed from beside her. She heard Hiram add his agreement to her Papa's words. All Rachel could do was smile proudly. At least she was doing something right, even though it continually felt like her world was falling apart.

Autumn's second performance was during the second half of the recital. Rachel stood up to stretch her legs as soon as the lights went up in the auditorium for intermission.

"I'm going to the concession stand. Does anyone want anything?" She turned to her family before moving her gaze briefly to Finn's and then Sheridan. When none of her family spoke up she moved to exit the aisle just as Blaine stood up.

"Actually, I need to stretch my legs. I'll walk with you." She nodded and waited in the aisle for her brother-in-law before making her way out to the lobby.  
Blaine didn't say anything to her as they walked out. They got in line quietly as Rachel chewed her lip.

"You alright?" He asked as he looked at her intently.

"Just peachy" She turned to him and smiled the biggest smile she could muster. Blaine didn't buy it.

"No you're not."

"No you're wrong, I'm great. My life is great and to quote that STUPID Lego Movie you guys took Autumn to see, everything is awesome." She grunted.

"Rachel..." They line moved and they each stepped forward.

"I really don't want to get into it right this second Blaine. Please." The last word fell quietly from her lips as she turned to her brother-in-law. He arched his eye brow at her.

"Alright. Alright." He held up his one hand in mock surrender. "But if you need to talk..."

"I know." She said softly. "Thanks."

He nodded. They got to the front of the line and grabbed their items before heading back into the theatre.

They returned to their seats to find Sheridan and Finn gone. Rachel sat down in her seat and turned to her Papa.

"Where did they go?" She asked softly as she uncapped her bottle of water. She nodded towards the seats to her right that were empty.

Leroy shrugged. "I think Finn took her outside. She was getting snotty with him and it sounded like he was getting fed up." Rachel immediately sighed. "Does she always give you such a hard time?"

"Oh, you haven't seen anything." Rachel scoffed. "The way she treats him, acts when he's around...isn't anything like what she's like at home."

"You mean..."

"Oh yeah. My house is a freaking picnic. Slamming doors, yelling, cursing. It's a laugh a freaking minute."

"Do you want me to talk to her?" Leroy offered. Rachel looked at him, contemplating it for a second. Her Papa had always been the more lax of her two fathers and was much the same way with his granddaughters. She wasn't sure it would help any for him to interfere.

"It's okay. I'm not sure how much help it would be."

Their conversation was interrupted when she felt Sheridan plop down beside her, finally giving her the space she needed from Finn who had yet to return.

"Dad's a jerk." She mumbled, loud enough though that she caught the attention of their entire family.

"Sheridan!" Rachel exclaimed. She immediately sat up straighter and turned to her daughter with her back to the rest of the family.

Sheridan just shrugged, didn't seem bothered by her mother's exclamation. "What? It's the truth!"

"You and I both know that's not true."

Sheridan arched her eyebrow at her mother. Rachel blew out a breath. Had she become that parent who would do _this_ here? _This_ meaning having an argument out in the open. In front of virtually their entire family.

"He's a jerk. He dragged me out of here like a child because I said the recital was dumb and stupid."

Rachel suppressed the need to roll her eyes at her daughter.

"I'm sure it was more the way you said it and your attitude the whole afternoon that caused him to remove you from the theatre." Rachel said slowly. "You need to smarten up. We're here to support your sister and you will do it happily for the rest of the show."

"Smarten up. Funny that's almost exactly what Dad said. You two actually talking to each other again? I mean without screaming and cursing?" She snapped. "I mean it's been awhile since I've heard you call him an asshole, even under your breath when you think I can't hear"

"Alright. I've heard enough." Burt stood up from his seat a little further down. "Sheridan, me and you...let's go." Sheridan's eyes widened as her grandfather made his way towards her. "Up. Let's go." Sheridan did as she was told and followed her grandfather out of the theatre. Rachel immediately dropped her head to her hands as tears welled in her eyes. She wasn't sure if the tears that were forming were from exasperation, embarrassment or sadness. She felt a hand on her back and saw that her Papa and Carole had switched spots when Burt had hauled Sheridan outside.

* * *

Burt took Sheridan over to the car where they had parked and gestured her to get inside. She followed his lead and slid into seat before slamming the door.  
They sat in silence for a moment, before Burt turned to Sheridan. "Sheridan, what is your problem?"  
"Really? You have to ask me that?" She turned to him as her eyes brimmed with tears. She wiped hastily at the ones that slipped from her eyes. Burt immediately wrapped his arm around her as she leaned into him. She cried for a few minutes into his arms. "My parents can't stand each other, my whole family is falling apart. I can't concentrate on anything..." Burt pulled away and looked down at her intently.  
"Sheridan, you know what I see?" Burt said softly. "I see my 15 year old granddaughter in so much pain that it breaks my heart. Sheridan this sucks. I get it." He paused. "But pain turned inward becomes anger. I know that's why you're hurting. But you cannot take it out on your parents. Don't let the anger overtake you."

* * *

She was beginning to wonder how they hadn't really attracted the attention of the other audience members.  
"Carole...I..." She mumbled against her hand.  
"It's okay. It's going to be okay."  
"No it's not." She shook her head with a vengeance. "No it's not." She sighed again, this time quieter as she caught sight of Finn coming down the aisle. Carole tried to give her a weak smile. She didn't really say anything else, just kept her hand on her back as Finn sat down, this time taking the aisle seat to give her space. His brow was furrowed and his jaw was clenched.  
Carole and Leroy switched back to their original seats. Rachel bit her lip as she watched her mother-in-law go back to where she had been sitting. She wondered what she would have said to her, what advice she would have offered if Finn hadn't come back at that moment. She hadn't really had a chance to talk to Carole, at all really since that day in January when Finn had walked out. Her and Carole had previously been close, but it seemed now and as time had gone on, that lines had been drawn in the sand about who could talk intimately to who. She would be lying if she said she didn't miss the conversations she used to have with Carole, all the advice she gave especially in the early days when she was a new, teenaged mom. Those thoughts only made her emotions worse.

"I saw Burt out there with Sheridan in the car." He said simply as he leaned over the empty seat. She turned her face to look at him, not bothering to attempt to hide the tears in them. "Was she..."

"She was being herself." She said softly. She caught sight of his left hand again as he was leaning over the seat and tried not to let her thoughts dwell on the missing ring. "Mouthing off, you know the usual."

She heard Finn grunt in annoyance and close his eyes.

"I don't know what else to do to get through to her Rachel." He said softly. She thought she could almost hear a faint trace of defeat.

"I don't know either Finn. But what you're seeing here...is what I deal with EVERY DAY."

"And think she's any better on the weekends?" Finn snapped.

"Guys." Leroy got their attention as the lights began to flicker off and on. Burt still hadn't returned with Sheridan. They both sat back in their seats as the lights fully dimmed and the show started again.

They were well into the second act when Burt and Sheridan returned. Burt apologized as he stepped over Rachel and the rest of the family to get back to his seat. Sheridan plopped down in hers, crossed her arms over her chest and sniffled loudly. Both Rachel and Finn immediately turned to her and gave her what could only be described as matching glares. There wasn't a sound out of Sheridan for the rest of the performance.

When the show was over, Rachel plastered a smile on her face as she went to go and collect Autumn from the dressing room. She grinned when she saw her, being silly in the change room with a few of her friends. But when she saw Rachel, her eyes lit up as she danced over to her.

"How was I Mommy?" She asked, looking up at her with her big eyes, batting her eyelashes.

"You were perfect baby. Absolutely perfect. Now come on, let's get you changed and grab your stuff. Everyone is waiting to go out to dinner." She tried to seem as happy as possible for Autumn. It seemed to be working well for her.

"Where are we going?" She asked as she shoved her stuff in her dance bag.

"Where would you like to go? Poppy said you can choose anywhere..." She smiled.

"I want to go to Lone Star Grill." She said after thinking for a minute. Rachel nodded. She helped Autumn get changed into the yoga pants and sweater she had worn before grabbing her stuff to go and meet their family.

* * *

She sat as far away from Finn as she could at dinner. Her family seemed to know this was needed, and had filled in the spaces between them accordingly. Sheridan, for some reason, though she had declared her father to be a jerk earlier, had chosen to sit closest to him. She wanted to pretend that even though she was unhappy with her daughters behaviour, it still stung. It was the way it had been since that fateful day. She always chose Finn over her.  
But it was after dinner when things got worse. Burt and Carole insisted on taking Sheridan back to Lima with them in their car. While her behaviour had been better at dinner then during the recital, it wasn't the greatest. She was sure Burt was going to let her have it. While this made her uneasy, she knew Burt and Carole meant well and were just trying to help. It felt bad though, having her in-laws do the disciplining that she just couldn't seem to do right herself. She wondered if Finn felt the sting of failure, just like she did. Not that she really gave a shit about how Finn felt.

And then Autumn announced that she wanted to ride home with Daddy.

Any resolve that Rachel had, any strength that was left, was broken. She nodded as tears began to come to her eyes for the umpteenth time that day. She watched Autumn grin and run to take Finn's hand as he led her to the car. She stood beside her car and watched as he buckled Autumn expertly into the car seat in the back of his car before getting in himself. She almost jumped out of her skin when she felt her Papa's hand on her shoulder.  
"Rachel." He said softly. She turned around, the tears burning her eyes as she looked at him. She bit her lip as she looked at her father.

"Papa" She said softly. He just looked at her intently and opened his arms to her. She leaned into his embrace immediately.

"Want to come over for a bit? I'm sure if you texted Finn..." Rachel looked up at her father, and then over at her Daddy who was still standing by their car. He gave her a soft smile.

"Okay" She said softly. Her Daddy walked away towards his car, and she got in hers herself. She dug through her purse for her phone before she did anything else and quickly sent Finn a text.  
_Can you keep Autumn for a little bit please? I need to go to my Dads for a bit._ She waited for a moment before starting her car, just as her phone lit up with a message.  
_That's fine. We're going to go to the park by the house for a little bit. Text me when you're on your way home. _She sighed.  
_Thanks. _

* * *

She sat on the couch in her father's living room, her legs curled underneath her as she held the mug of tea in her hands. Her Daddy sat beside her while her Papa sat in the chair across from them.  
"How are you holding up Rachel?" Leroy asked softly. She shrugged, biting her lip as she looked down at the mug.

"I feel like the bottom of my world has fallen out" She said softly. She didn't lift her eyes from the mug. There was silence in the room, as if her father's were waiting for her to continue her thought. "He took his wedding ring off." She finally whispered after a few minutes of quiet.

She heard her father's collectively gasp. Neither really said anything to her at first.

"Rachel, that could mean anything..." Hiram started.

She looked at him with an exhausted look on her face. "Daddy, I know exactly what it means." She sighed. "It means he's given up on us. He's given up on our family" She chocked back a sob.

"You don't know that Princess." Leroy tried to comfort. Rachel reached forward to put her mug down on the table.

"Daddy...then why hasn't he tried to come home? Tried to talk about what happened? And now he's taking his ring off? I feel like this is all just going by so fast. I feel like we're moving too quickly. I feel like... I feel like I can't breathe." She leaned her head down in her hands as the sobs she'd been trying to hold on to all day finally appeared and overtook her body. Her Papa crossed the room to sit on the other side of her and both of them embraced her as she sobbed. "It's all happening too fast. I don't want it to end. I don't want anything to change..."

Hiram and Leroy looked at each other from above her sobbing form, their hearts collectively breaking for their daughter, and by extension their granddaughters and maybe even for Finn too.

"It's going to be okay. It's going to be okay."

"I really wish people would stop saying that because it doesn't feel like it will even remotely be okay. I mean, I've lost my husband, my older daughter hates me..."

"She doesn't hate you. She's just lashing out, trying to express her own anger at the situation in the one way she knows how." Hiram tried to affirm. Rachel's shoulders shook as more sobs overtook.

"I just wish there was a way we could slow this all down. Maybe if we just talked..."

"Rach, I saw you guys tonight. You're barely civil to each other in public..."

"It just hurts Daddy..." She cried. "This isn't how I pictured my life..."

* * *

_**Thoughts? Also...props to my BFF whose been reading this :) She's also who the Dr. in the previous chapter is named for :). And my mom, who helped with the Burt/Sheridan scene :) **_


	10. And the Cannon Goes

**Thank you for all of your reviews! Without telling you what's going to happen, I will tell you this...some of your reviews are CLOSE to what is going to happen. You just have to figure out which ones they are. I promise you'll be okay with where we're headed!**

Anyways, I know some of you were hoping for some Finchel interaction, but how about delving a little deeper into Sheridan's thoughts, hmm? Hope you like it! Our Poor Sheridan :(

And as always, I don't own Finn, Rachel or anyone who is actually associated with glee. Just Sheridan, Autumn and the plot. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 10: April 2027**

Her grandfather's words from Saturday still echoed in her head as she got ready for school Monday morning. Yes, she was angry. Didn't she had a right to be angry? A right to her own emotions? She quickly applied the foundation to her face, trying in vain to hide the bags under her eyes that had developed from the endless hours of sleep that she had lost, tossing and turning in bed. A lot of it stemmed from hearing her mother cry at night, the other half of it was because she just felt...restless and tormented. And angry. She felt angry. Angry at everyone in her life. Angry at her mother for just letting her father walk away without fighting for him, angry at her father for not staying around when the going got tough. Even a little angry at her grandparents, all of them, for letting this happen to her family without stepping in to help. And by help she definitely meant more than just giving her father a place to stay and bring them every other weekend. Her Poppy was pretty quick to give her a stern talking to on Saturday because of her attitude, he should have one with each of her parents. She just didn't get it. Didn't they promise to love and cherish each other forever? Wasn't there a law that said they had to stick by each other through thick and thin? It hurt. It hurt like a bitch that her family was falling apart. And yes, it had been three months. Didn't mean it was getting any easier. If anything, the more time that past made the pain worse. It made everything feel more permanent which was not a feeling she liked. This new life they were all leading sucked. And it sucked bad. She lined her eyes thickly with eyeliner, the way Molly had taught her to at lunch last week. When she was satisfied with her appearance she left the bathroom and almost ran straight into her mother in the hallway.

"Good morning." Rachel smiled at her as she went for the stairs. "Your makeup looks pretty today."

Sheridan stared at her for a moment but didn't say anything to her as she followed her down the small set of stairs towards the kitchen. Sheridan moved through the kitchen, putting together a breakfast for herself. Her and Rachel had come to an understanding over the last couple of weeks that other than the weekends, it just made life a little more bearable if Sheridan put together her own breakfast. Less fighting, most of the time.

They got ready for the day in silence, Autumn filling in the background with her mindless, preschool chatter.

She got dropped off at the front entrance of the school much like any other day. She ran into the building as her mother pulled away from the curb, to meet her friends in the front entryway. She pasted on a happy face when she approached her group of friends, immediately jumping into the conversation they were already having.

"How was your weekend?" Molly asked as she fell into step beside her as they walked towards their string of lockers.

"Oh you know. A joy. We had Autumn's dance recital on Saturday. So yay, family time!" She mock cheered as Molly chuckled.

The small group of girls hung out in front of Sheridan's locker before the warning bell for first period went off.

"God, I hate Mondays" Molly mumbled as they walked down the hallway towards their first class, math.

"Yep. Mondays are the worst." Sheridan agreed. "Definitely created as a form of torture..."

"I highly doubt that. But they do suck" Molly laughed a little as they walked into the classroom. They found their seats as they waited for their teacher to join them.

"Did you do the practice pages this weekend?" Molly questioned as she flipped open her binder.

"Nah. I never do the practice pages." Sheridan shrugged. Why do the extra work if it wouldn't get her any credit? Molly sighed just as the final bell rang and their teacher, Mr. Wilson sauntered into the room but didn't say anything. They sat through the morning announcements, before Mr. Wilson made an announcement.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. To start our Monday morning off on just the right note, we're going to have a pop quiz. Put everything away."

Sheridan immediately groaned and tossed her notebook underneath her desk. She hated pop quizzes. She just did better when she could you know...study. When she studied that is. Mr. Wilson walked across the classroom and passed out the quiz papers to the front of each row to be passed backwards to everyone. She kept the paper face down on her table until she was told she could flip it over. She immediately groaned when she saw the questions. Maybe she should have done the practice pages over the weekend. Everything on the page looked like the stuff they had covered last Thursday and Friday in class. She could barely remember what they had covered then, her family problems at the forefront of her mind. She racked her brain as she stared at the paper. She managed to figure out a few of the questions just as Mr. Wilson called time. She sighed and threw her pencil down as he came to collect it.

When he made it back to the front of the classroom, he stacked the papers on his desk before launching into another lesson about some meaningless math formula Sheridan was sure she would never, ever use in her life.

They were coming to the end of the lesson, as Mr. Wilson assigned some homework along with the extra practice pages. She groaned when she looked at the homework assignment. She didn't fully understand what went on during the lesson. She only hoped she'd be able to fake her way through the homework. The bell rang, signalling the end of the period.

"Ms. Berry-Hudson, please wait a moment." Mr. Wilson called. She sighed, rolling her eyes at Molly.

"I'll tell Ms. Anderson you'll be late for science." Sheridan nodded and waited in her seat, fidgeting with her notebook while the rest of the classroom cleared out before grabbing her stuff and heading for the desk.

"Yes Mr. Wilson?" She chewed her lip as she looked down at her feet.

"Sheridan, I've marked your quiz from this morning. You only managed to answer one of the questions completely correct. Are you having trouble with the material? I know we've had this conversation many times this semester and I know I have offered you extra help. Which you never seem to come for." She didn't look up at him. "I'm not really understanding what the issue is here, and I'm afraid I'm going to have to bring your parents in for a conference since..."

"NO!" She shouted. Her head snapped up as she met the older teacher's eyes. "For the love of fucking God don't call my parents."

"Sheridan."

"You can't call my fucking parents, okay? You just fucking can't. They'll flip their shit on me and I just can't take that right now, alright? Don't call my fucking parents!" She reached out to touch Mr. Wilson's arm and he flinched away. Tears burned in the corners of her eyes. "Please, I'll do anything. Extra credit, anything."

"Sheridan, you're failing. I'm afraid school policy is a phone call home and conference with parents when a student is failing a class by a significant amount. You've yet to fully complete or pass an assignment or test since the beginning of the semester in February."

"Fuck you!" She shouted at the older man. "You don't even fucking care! Just fuck you!"

"Young lady, watch your tone and your language. I think you need to march yourself down to the principal's office right about now."

"Fuck you."

"Ms. Berry-Hudson, I would watch what you say. That kind of language and complete disrespect is grounds for suspension. Now get moving. Mrs. Hall will be expecting you." He moved to the intercom.

"Mrs. Hall is a bitch." She snapped as she grabbed her books and stomped out of the room, heading for the office. She chewed her lip. Her parents were going to kill her now. She was dead.

She marched down the hallway as she tried to sniff back the burn of tears in the corners of her eyes. She slung open the door to the reception area of Mrs. Hall's office and approached the receptionist, who told her to head straight in. Just as Mr. Wilson had promised, Mrs. Hall was expecting her. The older woman stood up from behind her desk and crossed her arms in front of her at her waist.

"Ms. Berry-Hudson, I understand you're having a bit of difficulty controlling your anger."

She stood on the opposite side of the desk, dropped her books in the chair and stared back at the older woman in front of her.

"What did that crazy man say to you?" She snapped, looking at the Principal.

"Sheridan..." Mrs. Hall sighed. She went to sit down in her seat and gestured for Sheridan to do the same.

"I didn't do anything wrong Mrs. Hall. I didn't. I hate math. I mean, my dad says I'm never going to use it in real life anyways." She mumbled. "And he should know, he's a teacher."

"Sheridan, this isn't about the fact that you think math is useless. It's more about the fact that you swore at Mr. Wilson. You know that foul language, especially in front of a faculty member or directed at one, is grounds for suspension." Sheridan sat up straighter. She didn't want to be suspended. She'd never hear the end of it at home if she was suspended. It would go on her record, and she just couldn't have that. "...and your marks." Mrs. Hall began. "You're failing Mr. Wilson's class, and you're on the borderline of failing Ms. Smith's English class. I'm afraid Sheridan, that I have no choice but to call a conference with your parents, both about your behaviour and your marks."

Her bravado was gone. Sheridan felt the tears rise in her eyes.

"Mrs. Hall, please..." She broke.

"Sheridan, I'm doing you a favour. Or would you rather be suspended for a day?"

"You don't understand..."

Mrs. Hall gave her a stare. "Sheridan, then make me understand. Because from what I'm gathering, a lot of your teachers have made notes about your change in behaviour and none of them are very good. So please, help me understand so we can all help you..."

She scoffed at the word help, and sniffed to get rid of her tears. The only people who could really help her, were the ones that had put her in this situation to begin with.

"You don't get what it's like at home. My parents are separating, and my dad's moved out. Things aren't the same, and they're never going to be the same again. They can't stand to be in the same room as each other without fighting and I just...Mrs. Hall this is going to make them flip their lid. I don't...I can't stand to be in any more trouble than I am at home...Please." Her voice cracked. So she laid it on a little thick at the end, she just didn't want her to call her parents.

Mrs. Hall looked at her with a softened expression. "I'm very sorry to hear that Sheridan. But it still does not excuse your behaviour." She tapped something out onto the keyboard in front of her. "We also have to have a meeting because of your marks. Now, I won't suspend you this time. But I do suggest you go and apologize to Mr. Wilson before you join your next period class."

She stared at the principal for a moment, biting back the expletive she was going to unleash and nodded her head. She sighed as she picked up her books.

"Oh Sheridan?" Mrs. Hall called. She turned to look at her, a bored expression crossing her features. "It will get better. Hang in there."

She rolled her eyes as she turned back around and left the office.

As soon as she got in the car that afternoon, she knew her Mom had spoken to Mrs. Hall. But what she didn't know, is how her Mother felt about it. Her face didn't show any emotion at all. Her words to her were short, clipped and to the point. She didn't mention the phone call directly, nor did she really even say when the meeting was. The anger and disappointment radiated off of her in droves. Sheridan almost wished her Mom would open her mouth and let her have it. But it never came. She only brightened when they stopped at the pre-school to pick up Autumn, who yammered on incessantly about some stupid painting she had made during art.

"No one cares Autumn."

"Sheridan, quiet. Just because you had a bad day does not mean the rest of us have to suffer with you." Rachel slapped. Her tone didn't invite any disagreement. Sheridan sat back in her seat and crossed her arms over her chest as her Mom drove home. Bad day? Even worse evening.

* * *

When she walked into Mrs. Hall's office the next afternoon, she steeled herself for the confrontation that was going to occur. She'd heard her mother furiously typing on her phone all night, and she could only piece together that she was probably talking to her Dad. The expressions on her face had told her that much, but she hadn't asked. She wouldn't have lived to hear about it. She was in deep shit and she knew it.

She sat down in the chair in between her parents. Convenient, she thought. This way they didn't have to sit beside each other, and they could both strangle her at the same time. She slumped in the chair and crossed her arms over her chest just as Mrs. Hall started to talk.

"Mr and Mrs. Hudson, thank you for coming in on such short notice. As I said in our conversation that I had with you Mrs. Hudson, yesterday afternoon, both Mr. Wilson and I along with the rest of Sheridan's teachers are quite concerned about her for a number of reasons." She saw her father's jaw clench but her mother didn't flinch at all. "I'd like to start with a discussion about her academic performance." Mrs. Hall paused. "Mr. Wilson has brought it to my attention that Sheridan has yet to achieve a passing grade on any assignment or test in his class."

Mr. Wilson spoke up. "As we're approaching the end of the semester, it is quite alarming as you can imagine. I have offered Sheridan extra help on numerous occasions, but she has yet to take advantage of it even though she perceivably continues to struggle with the material. Currently, Sheridan is sitting at 37% grade, equalling an F."

She heard her mother gasp. Obviously Mrs. Hall had left out this part during the conversation they'd had last night. Sheridan wanted to sink into her chair. Mrs. Hall turned her computer screen towards her parents. There all her marks were in glorious black and white. The only good one? Her gym class mark.

"And as you can see here, along with a failing grade in math, Sheridan is also on the verge of failing English as well."

Her mother gasped again, this time turning to her.

"Sheridan, you used to love English..." Sheridan merely shrugged in response. Her mother sighed.

"What can she do to bring her mark up?" Her father instantly asked. Sheridan saw her mother nod in agreement. Wow, they actually agreed on something without arguing for hours on end about it. "She needs to pass math, in order to complete her freshman credits, right?"

Mr. Wilson nodded. "I would be willing to provide makeup assignments and work for Sheridan to complete for evaluation, in hopes of bringing up her mark."

"That's very kind of you. We appreciate it." Her mother added. "We'll make sure she completes it, and hands it in within a timely manner. Obviously we need to monitor her more closely when it comes to homework. We've had a bit of a situation at home which I had realized was effecting her school work so negatively." She added.

"Yes, Sheridan expressed yesterday that there has been some trouble at home. I understand there has been a change in..."

"They've separated. You don't have to get fancy about it." Sheridan mumbled. She could feel both her parents glare at her.

"Yes, we have decided to separate. And obviously that has interrupted our home routine..." Her mother added quietly.

"I'm very sorry to hear that." Mrs. Hall gave them a sympathetic look. "I do understand that the transition is difficult. Which also brings me to the other reason why we're here. Several teachers had noted a change in Sheridan's behaviour."

Here we go, she thought to herself.

"As I told you yesterday, Mrs. Hudson, Sheridan and Mr. Wilson had an altercation yesterday when he tried to speak to her about her marks. Sheridan turned defensive and defiant, choosing to use inappropriate language. Normally, this would result in an automatic suspension. But after speaking with Sheridan and hearing about your family complications, I decided to bring it to your attention instead. She has also apologized" Mr. Wilson nodded.

"I thought it was just something she was just doing with me. With us" Her mother gestured to her father. "Though I can't say I'm very surprised" She saw her Dad nod in agreement.

"I'm very sorry" Her mother turned to her teacher. "We'll speak with Sheridan about her behaviour. And I know I appreciate you coming to us with this information Mrs. Hall instead of suspending her." She paused. "I guess our separation is effecting her more than I thought."

Sheridan heard her father sigh, which was his silent way of disagreeing with her mother. Her mother could be the master of bullshit when she wanted to be.

Mrs. Hall nodded at her parents. "I appreciate your cooperation with this matter. While that was the first serious incident with a staff member, other teachers have noted that she has become just as defiant, and withdrawn within the classroom. Her attitude has taken a downward spiral and all of her teachers here are concerned about her."

Both her parents just nodded. "We'll speak with her" Her father stated, repeating her mother's words.

The meeting ended after a few more minutes of discussion, with her parents forcing her to apologize one more time to Mr. Wilson.

It's quiet between the three of them as they walked out of the principal's office. School's already been dismissed for the day and the halls are empty. Sheridan bit her lip as she looked at the ground.

"Get your stuff." Her father said simply. His tone didn't invite her to back talk at all, and she nodded. She marched down the hallway and sighed when she heard the distinct footsteps of them following behind her.

She reached her locker and quickly applied the code to her lock before swinging the door open. She grabbed her backpack and shoved her books in her bag before slamming the door closed.

"Do you have everything?" Her mother asked, raising an eyebrow. Sheridan quickly nodded. She had grabbed every textbook and every binder she'd need to do her homework. The only pressing items were her math assignments and to continue reading the book for silent study in English. She slammed the door closed and relocked it. Her mother immediately turned on her heel and walked towards the exit at the end of the hall. Her father walked beside her, but didn't really say anything.

"So this is what a death march feels like" She mumbled under her breath.

Her dad sighed loudly, and she could almost hear the exhaustion in his voice. "Knock it off Sheridan." She grunted in response.

When they got the parking lot, she stood between both her parents who were parked only a few spots apart.

"Get in the car Sheridan." Her mother snapped.

"Which one?"

"I don't really care. Just get in the car. We're going home."

"All of us?" She arched an eyebrow and looked between the two of them. Her mother huffed loudly, placed her hands on her hips and looked at her and her Dad.

"Yes. Your father is coming over for dinner. We're going to have a family discussion." Sheridan swallowed hard, and with one look at her mother she decided that maybe it was a good idea to get in the car with her father instead. She stalked over to his car and he pressed the key fob so the door was unlocked. She got in and slammed the door closed. She watched for a few minutes as her parents talked, her mother's hands gesturing wildly at her father. She watched her father scratch his head, before pulling his phone out of his pocket and holding it to his face while holding up a finger in her mother's face. She snickered when her mother stomped her foot.

Her father got in the car a few minutes later and immediately jammed his key into the ignition.

"What was that all about?" She asked quietly.

"Why does it concern you?' He asked back as he pulled out of his space and followed Rachel out of the parking lot and to the main road.

"Cause Mom looked pissed. Not that that's really different from any other time you guys are together..."

"Sheridan. Just stop. If you must know, we were trying to figure out who was going to watch Autumn while we have dinner."

"Oh."

He didn't say it, but she knew he meant who outside of their immediate family was going to watch her sister tonight. Which must mean that it was just going to be the three of them for dinner. Great.

* * *

It was silent for the beginning of dinner. Her and her Dad had stopped off at the grocery store and picked up one of those readymade chickens with a few salads. Clearly her mother had said she wasn't cooking. They each sat at the table, stabbing at the food on their plates. Flashes of the last time they had dinner together, just like this one ran through Sheridan's mind. Her stomach turned as she remembered how that had gone. That had been the dinner that her parents told her and Autumn they were separating. She was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. They were just too quiet. There was too much silence and the air was thick. She was just waiting for one of them to say something, anything at all. She could not take the silence anymore. It almost physically hurt.

She picked at her food, and shot her head up when she heard her mother's chair scrape against the floor as she stood up. She held her plate in her hand and she walked over to where her father was sitting, his plate pushed away from him, clean of food. Her mother reached over and picked up the plate.

"Thanks." She heard her father mumble before clearing his throat. She watched her mother nod slightly while biting her lip.

When she came back to the table she sat back in her chair and crossed her arms in front of her on the table top. Sheridan pushed her plate away and leaned back in her chair, her eyes down on the table in front of her.

"So are you going to let me have it, or what?" She stated, breaking the silence that had enveloped the three of them since dinner was served.

She saw them share a look, and for a moment it was almost like they were back to normal. Her father cleared his throat and leaned forward on the table.

"What is going on with you Sheridan?" He asked carefully. She could tell immediately that he was trying to keep his voice in check.

"What do you mean, what's going on with me?" She looked down at her hands and started picking at her nails.

"Answer the question." Her mother stamped out. "What is going on with you, at school?"

She sighed dejectedly and she looked up from her hands.

"You want to know what's up with me? Huh?" She looked from her Mom to her Dad and back again. "You actually want to know? You actually give a shit?" She arched her eyebrows at them.

"SHERIDAN!" Her Dad slammed his hands against the table, causing the remaining dishes to clatter. "Enough with your catty comments!" Her eyes widened as she stared at her father.

"Answer the question. What is going on with you? Why aren't you doing your homework? You..."

"I can't concentrate, okay? Is that what you want to hear? I can't concentrate on my homework long enough to get it done, and make sure it's done right. Every time I close my eyes all I hear is you guys fighting..." She crossed her arms over her chest as her voice wavered. "...or I see the way you guys stare at each other, waiting for the other to burst into flames. And it fucking hurts, okay? Our family is falling apart, and I seem to be the only one who gives a shit enough to want to even fight to keep us together..."

"Well you have a funny way of showing that you're fighting to keep us together, with your attitude and everything." Her mother started. "You've been disrespectful and hateful to both me and your father, and now it's happening at school? Sheridan this isn't you...and you're failing classes? That really isn't you..."

"Why do you even care?" She clenched her fists on the table. "All you've really cared about is making my life a living hell the last few weeks..."

"Sheridan, this isn't about us. It's about you."

"But it IS about you" She stabbed. "YOU did this when you walked out Dad." She narrowed her eyes at him before turning her gaze on her mother. "You did this, Mom when you let him."

"That's ENOUGH!" Her father raised his hand. "We are not talking about me, or your mother or what happened between us. This is about you. And how you're failing math? And almost failing English? And you're swearing at teachers? You are so unbelievably lucky that Mrs. Hall didn't suspend you. You need to snap out of this and stop making excuses for your poor behaviour because I, for one, have had enough of your crap Sheridan."

The tears burned in the corners of her eyes as she looked at her parents. "You know what, fine! What do you want me to say? Sorry that I don't get what Mr. Wilson is trying to teach? That I'm too embaressed to go for help, because the only times he's offered it is when I have glee club? And the only thing that makes me happy is that stupid club? I'm so FUCKING sorry that I'm human and have feelings. Not that you give a shit. All you care about is yelling at me, and making me feel so fucking small because I can't believe my family has turned into THIS." She sighed, her tears falling out of her eyes. "I'm sorry that I'm such a damn disappointment to everyone. Maybe I shouldn't have been born."  
Both her parents stopped and looked at her, neither of them saying anything.

"Sheridan." Her mother said slowly. She watched her swallow. "I'm sorry that you feel that way. And it kills me that you do. But your behaviour has been inexcusable. I'm going to have to ground you for a week."

"WHAT?" She yelled. "I just told you that..."

Her mother held up her hand. "I'm grounding you, so you'll do your work. You NEED to get your homework and your grades under control. So you'll be allowed to go to glee, but I'm confiscating your phone and your laptop, and you'll only get them back each night when your work is completed..."

"Dad, you can't let her..." She turned to look at her father. "What if I need my computer for homework..."

"I agree with your mother. And you can use your laptop in the living room if you need it for homework." Her mother nodded in agreement much like he had with her. What twilight zone was this, they were getting along? God.

"This is so unfair." She sighed.

"No, what's unfair is the way you have been treating your mother and I, and the way you swore at Mr. Wilson. Your job is to do your schoolwork and you haven't been doing it so now we're going to help you get it finished so you don't have to go to summer school." He paused. "Maybe, just maybe this grounding will help you adjust your attitude as well."

She sighed again and wiped at her eyes angrily, looking at both of her parents before getting up from her chair.

"Sheridan?" Her mother called. She spun around on her heel and found them both standing there staring at her, her mother's hand outstretched towards her.

"What?"

"Can I have your phone please?" She asked softly. Sheridan rolled her eyes and dug into her pocket, finding her blackberry and handing it to her mother.

She stared at them for another minute before turning around and stomping up the stairs. She got to her bedroom and slammed her door behind her, throwing herself on her bed and sobbing into her pillow.

Her life was over.

The downstairs was quiet, and Sheridan could only determine that her parents had either killed each other, or had learned how to fight quietly. Either way there was no way she could tell what was going on downstairs, but she was sure she was the topic of conversation. She sighed as she sat up in bed and reached for her backpack that she had dumped beside her bed. Might as well put her jail sentence to good use and get some work done.

* * *

_**Thoughts?**_


	11. I Got My White Flag Up

**Well guys, some of you asked for Finn's side of things. Here's a whole lot of Finn. Enjoy!**

I don't own Finn, Rachel or anyone who actually appears on Glee. Just Sheridan, Autumn and the plot. 

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**Chapter 11: May 2027  
**When his alarm went off the morning of his birthday, Finn groaned. Another birthday. Another year older. 33. He was 33 years old today and he felt more like he was 43. He rubbed his eyes as he sat up in bed, scratching at his hair. As he slid out of bed, his phone vibrated from the table beside it. He picked it up and smiled a little at the text that popped up on his screen.

_Happy Birthday Dad. See you tonight. - Love Sheridan & Autumn. _

Did he mention that his birthday fell on a Wednesday this year? Which meant it was his night with Autumn, but he'd made arrangements to see Sheridan too. Well, his mother had. She was planning a family dinner for him tonight at the house, with all his favourite foods. Even his brother and brother-in-law were coming with their son. Something he hadn't expected. He'd originally planned to just take the girls to Breadstix but his mother had insisted on making his birthday special. He had no idea why, it's not like he was a child. He quickly sent Sheridan a text thanking her before he made his way to the bathroom after grabbing clothes to wear to work.  
He entered the bathroom, and placed his clothes on the toilet while he started the shower. He scrubbed his face one more time before stripping and jumping into the hot stream.

When he got out of the shower he dried off and dressed quickly before standing in front of the mirror. He wiped at the fog on the mirror, clearing it so he could see into the reflective surface. He stared at his reflection for a few minutes. He didn't look older. Sure, the frown lines in his forehead were a little deeper and there was the slightest hint of grey at his temples, but he looked much the same as he felt he always did. But what was different? The bags under his eyes were more evident and he just looked less rested, more tired than ever before. The last four months hadn't been kind to his sanity, to his peace of mind. He didn't sleep well, the bed in the spare room was lumpy at best. It wasn't the comfortable King sized bed he had shared with Rachel for the last 15 years. Not to mention, his girls were a constant source of concern for him over the last four months. They still were, especially Sheridan. The show down two weeks ago after school, didn't make him feel any better. If anything, it made him feel even worse about the situation and badly it was effecting her. The last words that she had said, about never being born ran through his head over and over on a loop. There was no way she could know those were almost virtually the exact words that had set this whole thing in motion...right? The whole dinner, whole situation with her at school had just brought to light, for him at least, what a shitty parent he was being and that killed him. Shook him to his very core. When he'd set out on this journey of being a father he had promised himself, his parents and Rachel that he would be the best father in the world that he possibly could be. It had been easy to promise that when he held baby Sheridan in his arms all those years ago. But he'd managed to fuck that up. Go back on that one promise, and so many more. He patted his cheeks before running his fingers through his wet hair before adding gel to style it. When he was satisfied, he quickly brushed his teeth and got ready for the rest of his day. He went back to his bedroom and grabbed his bag, before heading downstairs to grab breakfast.

"There he is!" He stopped short when he got to the kitchen, and saw his mother standing over the stove making scrambled eggs. She turned to look at him. "Happy Birthday Finny!"

He smiled as he approached his mom, dropping his bag by the breakfast bar and going to her. She opened her arms to him gesturing that she wanted a hug.

"Thanks Mom." He shrugged her off after she placed a kiss on his cheek. He slid onto the stool at the breakfast bar just as her mother placed a plate of scrambled eggs, toast and bacon in front of him. "What's all this?" He asked.

"It's breakfast. What do you think it is?" She smiled before turning back to the stove.

"I see that. I know that. I guess I mean why..."

"It's your birthday Finny."

"I know. Which is why we're having a family dinner tonight with even Kurt and Blaine..." He picked up his fork and stabbed some eggs. "Still doesn't explain the breakfast..."

"Sue me for wanting to make a nice breakfast for my son on his birthday. Since you know, I haven't been able to since you were 18 years old." She eyed him.

"Alright. I won't complain. Beats the pop tart I was going to grab on my way out."

Carole shook her head. "I still don't understand how you can eat those things. I got it when you were 17, but 33? Not so much..."

"They're delicious."

"Still gross." She shook her head. Finn just smiled at his mother and continued to eat his breakfast.

Work that day was uneventful. There was something to be said about teaching sixth grade. They were caught in that in between of not being old enough to know how to screw around, yet still innocent enough to know your word was law but at the same time they were beginning to wonder about the outside world so to speak. There was never a dull moment in sixth grade, and he didn't know why he always expected his birthday to be different. He'd told them this morning it was his birthday, and as a treat to them all he wouldn't be giving out any homework. But they'd wanted more. Like movies and treats. Nothing he had come prepared with. Just because it was his birthday didn't mean they could completely mess around. He had to laugh when he came back after lunch to a few crudely drawn happy birthday cards on his desk from some of the girls in the class. He laughed when he opened them and saw that between the four that were sat on his desk, they'd forced all the boys to sign at least one of them. Did he mention there was never a dull moment in sixth grade?

He whistled as he walked into the pre-school center, waving to the administrator who was in her office and always looked so incredibly busy. He walked down the hallway, nodding at the few parents he recognized. Some of them smiled at him, but he was beginning to see a change. The ones that did acknowledge him had a common, sad smile. Like they knew what was going on. He'd never really picked up Autumn previous to the separation and now he did every Wednesday. That must be like wearing a blinking neon light that said my life is in the shitter, my marriage is over. He sighed as he walked past another parent before he reached Autumn's classroom door.

"DADDY!" She called just as he stepped into the doorway of the classroom. She ran to him from where she was playing in the kitchen area, the bow tied in her hair flying behind her. "You're here Daddy!"

"Of course I am Autumn bug." He smiled as he lifted her into his arms. He laid a kiss on her cheek before putting her down on the floor and waving to her teacher. She led him over to her cubby and grabbed for a piece of red construction paper that was sticking out of the top part of her cubby.

"Here, this is for you Daddy!" She squealed as she thrust it at him before she went to take her indoor shoes off to slip on her outdoor ones. Finn smiled as he looked at what had been shoved at him. It was a birthday card, with two hand prints of Autumn's painted on the front to look like a heart. Happy Birthday Daddy was scrawled in messy 4 year old writing. It looked like someone had written it first and she had traced it over top. Inside was a picture that Autumn had drawn. She stood on her tiptoes and pulled at the paper to look at her picture.

"That's me, and you and Sheridan and Mommy at the park. Just like we used to." She looked up at him with her big eyes. "Daddy, can we go to the park tonight?"

Finn shook his head. "No sweetie. Nana has a special dinner planned. Even Uncle Blaine and Uncle Kurt are coming. Maybe we can go this weekend if the weather is nice." She sighed but nodded. Finn grabbed her backpack, slung it over his shoulder before taking her hand and walking out of the school. "Hey, cheer up! Nana made cake!" Her eyes widened and sparkled at him when he mentioned cake. Autumn loved her sweets.

"Chocolate cake?"

He shrugged. "I guess we'll find out together!" She grinned as they got to his car and he helped her inside to her car seat. When she was strapped in, he kissed her head softly before backing out and heading to his side of the car.

"Daddy?" She asked softly.

"Yeah Princess?" He looked back in the rear-view mirror at her as he started the car.

"Is Mommy going to come for cake?" She asked softly. Finn sighed as he turned around in his seat to look at her.

"No princess. It's just going to be us, with Nana, Poppy, Uncle Blaine, Uncle Kurt and Cameron."

"Oh." She looked down at her hands. "But why not Daddy? You and Mommy were at my birthday..."

"It just...Autumn...it doesn't work that way."

"Don't you want Mommy to come have cake with us?" She asked, her eyes big. Finn sighed and actually felt his shoulders slump. He turned back around to face the front of the car, shifting it into reverse and starting the drive to his parents house. "Daddy?"

"Autumn, Mommy is not going to have cake with us. She's busy tonight. You'll see her later, alright?" He sighed. He heard her sigh in the back seat almost exactly like him.

"Fine Daddy. Can we have ice cream with the cake?" Her eyes widened.

"I'm sure Nana got ice cream to go with the cake too. You know Poppy wouldn't let her not get ice cream." Autumn grinned from the backseat.

They got to his parents house and he had just liberated her from the car seat when Autumn went speeding up the walkway and into the house. Finn laughed as he watched her run, the ribbon in her hair flying behind her. He got up to the house and smiled when he heard Autumn squealing from somewhere in the house. He assumed she had found her Poppy. He dropped her backpack beside the door and followed the sound of her laughter into the living room, where she was jumping around, trying to avoid her Poppy's tickling hands. Finn leaned against the doorway and watched her horse around with Burt.

"Can anyone join this party?" he asked when there was a break in whatever game they were playing.

"Yeah!" Autumn squealed and launched herself at Finn as he walked more into the room. "Daddy, Poppy was trying to get me but I didn't let him!"

She shook her head as she slapped his cheeks. He grinned at her as she bounced in his arms.

"Is that right Poppy?" Finn asked, eyeing his stepfather. Burt just grinned as he stood up.

"I'm going to go start the bar-b-q." Burt stood up from his spot and clapped his back.

Kurt and Blaine arrived shortly after, with their son in tow. Cameron ran into the house and immediately sought out Autumn. The laughter and squealing got louder as they got into whatever ruckus it was that they got into when they got together.

"Guys, dinner is going to be ready soon don't get too messy!" Carole called as they ran out the backdoor into the backyard.

"Oh Mom, let them be." Kurt came into the kitchen where everyone was standing. Finn smile at his brother as he took a swig of the one beer he was going to allow himself to have while the girls were here. "Happy Birthday big brother." Kurt smiled when he came closer to Finn.

"Thanks Kurt." He smiled.

"How does it feel to be 33?"

"I don't feel a day over 22." He laughed, taking another sip of his beer.

"Well you look like your pushing 40"

"Thanks little brother. You sure know how to make a guy feel good on his birthday."

A knock at the front door brought the good natured ribbing to a standstill. Finn eyed the clock, and saw that it was just after five. Knowing it was probably Sheridan, he put down his beer and went to answer the door. He swung it open to find Sheridan standing there looking down at her feet, a dark blue gift bag in her hands. What he didn't miss was Rachel's car idling at the curb, watching the front door and Sheridan. He raised his hand to wave slightly to her as he let Sheridan into the house and Rachel drove away.

"Happy Birthday Dad." Sheridan said softly.

"Thanks Sher." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She smiled up at him slightly as she hugged him back before handing him the gift bag.

"You didn't have to..."

She shrugged as she moved away from him and walked more into the house, to say hi the rest of the family.

Carole and Burt made all of Finn's favourites, steak and corn on the cob from the bar-b-q with a macaroni salad and rolls.

"Daddy, I don't want steak. It's yucky." Autumn scrunched up her nose as she looked up at Finn. He had to chuckle when he looked down at her. They'd had steak before, he wasn't sure where this was coming from.

"Autumn, you like steak. You've had it before." She gave him a skeptical look.

"But Daddy..." She whined.

"Just try it. You'll like it, I promise. And if you don't then you don't have to eat it." He sighed.

"It's her new thing." Sheridan mumbled as she cut her own steak from where she sat on the other side of Finn. "It's driving Mom crazy."  
Finn sighed. Why hadn't Rachel mentioned this to him? Right, they were separated, that would mean that they would have to talk civilly and the world had literally been spinning around Sheridan the last few weeks. He pulled Autumn's plate closer to him and cut her steak into tiny pieces before moving it towards her again. "Try it please Autumn."

After dinner, Autumn did end up eating half of the steak he had put in front of her, they had cake and ice cream before moving to gifts. It was getting late, and he could see Autumn fading quickly on the couch beside him. She cuddled into his side as Sheridan sat on the floor below her. His parents had got him a gift certificate to Target, while Kurt and Blaine had gotten him some dinner and movie passes. Sheridan held the bag she had brought in with her and passed it up to Finn.

"This is from me and Autumn" She mumbled. Finn nodded and pulled out the card first. He opened the bright pink envelope and smiled at the card inside. It had a bright sun on the cover, with the words Happy Birthday Daddy! Inside both of the girls scrawled their names inside the card that repeated the sentiment from the cover.

"I picked it out Daddy." Autumn yawned from beside him. "Mommy took me to the store and I picked it" He smiled at her as he pulled at the tissue paper out of the bag and setting it beside him. The bag was large, and seemed to have a few things inside of it. He pulled out the first item and unfolded it from the tissue paper it was wrapped in. Inside he found a silver frame with a picture of the three of them that had been taken over Christmas, all of them had matching grins on their faces, looking so happy. They had made a snowman in the backyard while Rachel made them hot cocoa in the house. When she had called them in from the back door, she'd brought her camera and encouraged them to smile before ushering them inside to get warm. What had happened to his family? He sighed as he looked at the picture again, before putting it to the side. He reached into the bag again and pulled out something rolled in a piece of tissue paper. He dropped the empty bag beside him and unrolled what was in his hand. Inside was a new blue and red plaid shirt. He sighed when he looked at it. It screamed Rachel.

"I picked that out." Sheridan said softly. "And the frame too. I was at the mall with Molly and..."

"I love them Sheridan. Thank you" He smiled. He folded it up after looking at it and leaned over to kiss her head.

* * *

It was getting late, so Finn packed up the girls to take them home. Autumn was barely keeping her eyes open as it was almost past her bedtime. He helped her into her coat as he watched Sheridan say bye to her grandparents. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but it seemed like her and Burt were having words. But when he saw Sheridan smile he knew it was fine.

"Come on Sheridan, your Mom's expecting you home." He called towards her. She nodded, hugged Burt again before making her way over to where Finn was standing with Autumn on his hip.

The drive from his parents to what used to be his house wasn't very long, but Autumn still managed to fall asleep in her car seat. He parked in the driveway and sighed when Sheridan got out of the car, grabbing her bag before he could say anything to her. He sighed as he watched her head up the pathway and into the house. He got out himself and went to get Autumn out as quietly as possible without waking her up. She groaned a little bit in her sleep as he undid the straps that held her in, but she settled when he leaned her against his body. She snuggled into his neck as he held her against him. He walked up the pathway and saw that Rachel was standing at the door. She opened the screen door for him.

"Thanks. She kind of fell asleep in the car..." He started softly, brushing Autumn's hair away from his mouth.

"I can..." Rachel reached to take the little girl from him.

"I can just take her upstairs...if that's alright with you..." He smiled slowly. "I mean, she's getting pretty heavy and..."

"Yeah, no, that's fine." She smiled softly. He nodded and walked down the hallway towards the stairs with Rachel behind him. She watched from the doorway as Finn laid Autumn down on her bed, took her shoes and coat off. He quickly changed her into her pajamas that had been laying on her bed and tucked her in, kissing her forehead and brushing her hair out of her face. He stood up and bit his lip when he saw her standing there. He rubbed the back of his neck as he looked at his feet. She nodded her head towards the door and they left Autumn's room, closing the door almost the entire way behind them before going back downstairs towards the front door.  
They stood there for a few minutes, each of them looking at their feet.

"Happy Birthday, by the way."She said softly.

"Thanks." He said softly, shoving his hands in his pockets. "And thanks for letting me have the girls..."

"It was your night anyway. Not like..."

"Can you just say you're welcome, instead of turning into a federal case?" He tried to give her a weak smile. "And I appreciate the frame, and the shirt...I know despite what Sheridan told me at the house that you had a hand in them. So thanks."

It was her turn to look at her feet. "You're welcome." She said softly. A few minutes of quiet passed between the two of them before he said something.

"Sheridan said something at dinner about you having issues with Autumn at dinner?" Rachel's head snapped up and looked at him. A surprised look gathered over her features, but soon she relaxed as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"Uh. Yeah. She's been saying she doesn't like whatever I put in front of her..."

Finn nodded. "She tried the same with me. We had steak, she ate it after I cut it up really small and told her to..."

Rachel just nodded. "I usually get a bigger fight, so much sometimes that I just give up..." Finn nodded. "How was Sheridan?"

He shrugged in response. "She was fine. Nothing out of the ordinary actually..." He rubbed the back of his neck as she yawned.

"I should go. You've probably had a long day" She nodded as she brought her hand up to cover her mouth as she tried to suppress another yawn.

"Thanks for bringing them back." She said softly as they walked closer to the front door.

"Not a problem." He sighed. "I'll pick them up Saturday like usual, about 10am?"

She nodded. "It's a working weekend for me so they'll be here but I won't. I have an assignment at 9" She sighed.

"Alright. I'll make sure the house gets locked up..." He reached for the door handle and twisted it to open the door. "Good night Rachel." He sighed.

"Good night Finn." She sighed. She stepped closer to him and gently reached up to kiss his cheek softly. "Happy Birthday."

He smiled softly as he looked at her, before he turned to open the door wider and left the house.

He sighed when he got into his car and closed the door behind him. He hesitated before he started the car. He stared at the front of the house, and saw the light go on in the kitchen and he watched Rachel move around in the kitchen before finally starting the car and heading back towards his parents house. Why did things have to be so complicated? He wished he could just push a rewind button...and just start over. Start this whole separation thing over. But he also knew that that was easier said than done. If only it was easy.

When he got back to his parents house, he parked his car on the street and just sat back in the seat, closing his eyes. Had they actually had a conversation where they didn't want to kill each other? He rubbed his face before he pulled his keys from the ignition and stepped out of his car.

He hadn't realized how tired he was until he was dragging his feet up the walkway towards his parents front door. Instead of finding the main floor of the house in darkness like he was expecting, he found the light in the kitchen on fully, and both of his parents sitting at the breakfast bar. They looked like they were waiting for him, glasses of water in front of each of them. He felt his face flush, and he clenched his fists at his sides. It didn't take that long to drive from Rachel's to here, had something happened to the girls? Kurt? Blaine? Cameron?

"What's going on?" He asked softly. He looked from his mom to Burt and back again. His mom gave him a small smile before patting the stool beside her. He sighed and walked towards them, sitting on the stool.

"Girls get home okay?" Carole asked softly, looking at him.

He nodded slowly, a small smile playing at the sides of his mouth. "Yeah. Autumn fell asleep in the car and Rachel let me tuck her in which was nice."

Both his parents nodded at him. "Sheridan seemed to be in a good mood tonight." He shrugged in response.

"It's like that. She goes from being super okay and happy to really, really moody and intolerable."

"I did talk to her before you guys left. She promised she'd try to be on her best behaviour because she didn't want you guys to take her phone away again..." Finn nodded.

"Thanks." He said softly. "Well, as nice..."

"Finn, we need to talk." Carole said softly.

"Alright, can we get to the point then? I'm kind of tired and I have to go to the school early tomorrow to change..."

"We want to talk to you about...well, about you and Rachel."

Finn felt his heart sink to his stomach. "What do you mean, about me and Rachel?" His brow furrowed as he looked from Burt, to his mother and back again.

Burt folded his hands on the surface of the bar and leaned forward. "Son, it's almost been 4 months." Finn nodded. He was well aware of the amount of time that had passed since he walked out on his family. He didn't need to be reminded about how old the wound on his heart was.

"I know."

"Have you and Rachel talked at all...about, a plan or what's going to happen next..." His mother asked as gently as she could.

"A plan?" He was more confused than ever at the moment as he looked at his parents. "I...until half an hour ago we could barely stand to be in the same room as each other without biting the other one's head off. I mean it was a brief conversation and...I don't know, why do we have to have a plan?"

"It's been four months Finn." Burt said softly.

"I know how long it's been alright? I'm well aware of how long it's been since I let those stupid words fly out of my mouth and how long my life has been a complete mess. I don't need to be reminded of it..."

"Finn, you know that we love you. We do. And we've supported you with everything you've done, good and bad...but..."

"But what?"

"We're worried about you Finn. And we're worried about the girls and we're worried about Rachel." Carole said softly.

"What do you want me to say Mom? Rachel has made it pretty clear in the last few months that I did the worst possible thing in the world to her, by saying those words and walking out without looking back...and..."

"Do you love your wife?" Burt interrupted as he brought his glass of water to his lips.

"What?" Finn asked almost incredulously.

"You heard me. Do you love your wife?"

"Of course I do." He looked down at his hands. He did love Rachel. He was sure a part of him would always love her.

"Did you love her when you married her?"

"I...I did."

"Is it different from the love you feel for her now?"

Finn took a minute to think about the question and formulate an answer. "I think so. I mean, we've been married for 15 years Burt..." He paused for a moment. "I think I'll always love her. She's the mother of my children..."

Burt leaned back, straightening his back. "Do you still want to be married to her? Do you still want to be her husband?"

He looked down at the bar, tracing the designs in the granite.

"I don't know." He said quietly.

"Excuse me?" His mother asked.

"I said I don't know. I don't. I don't know what I want. I know that I made a mistake when I told her that I wished we'd never had or kept Sheridan. I just don't know what to do about any of this at the moment. I just..." He leaned his elbows on the table and pulled on his hair.

"Finn..." His mother touched his arm. "We've been talking and we think it would be best for you, and the girls...if you found somewhere else to live."

He shook his head. "What?"

"Your mother and I think that if this is going to become more permanent...your separation from Rachel that is, then you're going to have to have somewhere more permanent to bring the girls."

"What are you saying? Are you kicking me out?"

Carole frowned and reached over to touch him again. "We're not kicking you out. We just think that you need to get out on your own, start on moving forward..." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "You can absolutely stay here until you find somewhere to rent or stay...but we do think you need to figure out your next steps."

He stood up from his stool and looked at his parents. "I'm sorry Finn." His mother said softly. He held up his hand.

"It's fine. It's okay, really. You guys have given me a lot to think about. And I know you're doing it because you care. Thanks." He nodded as he said the words and turned to leave the kitchen. He walked to his room and threw his tired body on the bed. He sighed, running his hand over his face. Happy birthday to him.

* * *

He didn't know what he was doing, but when he woke up the next morning he had the incredible urge that he needed to talk to Rachel. He didn't know why but given the conversation he'd had with his parents last night he sort of knew why. He felt restless and shaky, as he didn't know what the future held nor did he even know what he wanted out of the future for himself. They'd given him a lot to think about that last night and there was the problem. He didn't know what he wanted. The only things he knew that was given the choice, he knew he still loved Rachel. Yes, she made him angry and he was sure he made her angry too. He just didn't really know how to fix their problems or if they were even fixable. Maybe they were just destined to co-parent effectively for the rest of their lives. Maybe they hadn't been cut out to be married. Maybe they were. He just didn't know. All he knew was that everything was about to change again, and he had to brace himself.

He hadn't expected her to agree to see him. He'd expected resistance, excuses. He hadn't expected the hasty sure he had received when he asked her to meet him for coffee later. He didn't know what he was going to say to her, what he was going to tell her about the conversation he'd had with his parents. He just knew they needed to straighten some things out. Make a very tentative plan at the very least.

He met her at the same coffee shop that he had all those months ago when he had dropped the proverbial bomb about the separation. He smiled a little this time when she entered, noticing how different she looked this time. There was no makeup on her face, her hair was tied back in a ponytail and she was wearing what looked to be yoga pants and a long sleeved shirt. She wasn't trying to impress him. But what he didn't miss, was the same sad look in her eyes when she approached him. It was heartbreaking and impossible to miss. She slid into the both across from him and unlike last time, reached for the coffee in front of her without question. He had made sure it was decaf, remembering once again that it was late and she didn't like to drink coffee past 6 p.m.

"How are the girls?" He asked softly after he took a sip of his drink.

Rachel looked at him and screwed up her nose. "Fine. Sheridan's being pretty stubborn and she pretty much interrogated me on my way out the door."

"Did you tell her it was me you were meeting with?"

She nodded. "That's why she interrogated me..." She dropped her head a little bit.

Finn bit his lip. "Sorry." She just shrugged in response before taking a sip of her coffee again.

"So why are we here?" She questioned as she put the drink down.

He swallowed hard, and he could feel her eyes on him. He avoided her gaze and looked down at his hands for a minute.

"Finn?" He looked up at her and saw that she was biting her lip. That meant she was nervous.

"I..." He ran his fingers through his hair and bit his own lip before he looked at her. "What are we doing Rachel?"

Her eyes widened as she looked at him. He knew he had caught her off guard. "What? What do you mean what are we doing?" He could hear the questioning in her voice. "I don't really understand what you're asking me here Finn." Her voice heightened in pitch.. He dropped his head to look at his hands again.

"My parents want me to find somewhere else to live." He mumbled. Her breath hitched. "And I guess I wanted to talk to you about this because they suggested we make a plan...for the future, even if it's temporary." He paused."I'm going to start looking for an apartment and I...I need you to be okay with that..."

"Okay with it? Why does it even matter if I'm okay with it?" She questioned. "I'm not okay with any of this. This is all what YOU wanted Finn...why should it matter what I think?"

"Because I still care about you Rachel..." He sighed.

She sighed, running her hand over her face. "Care about me? It's taken you four months to say that? What does that have to do with anything? Finn, I can't do this..." She pushed her chair back to get up from the table.

"Rachel, wait..." He went to grab her arm, and he reached her wrist. She turned to look at him, her eyes wide at the contact. "Can't we talk? Please?" He saw her eyes flicker and heard her sigh as she looked at him.

"I've been waiting four months for you to want to talk Finn." She said softly. "I can't keep doing this to myself. I can't keep...ripping this wound open when it's barely had time to heal" He only nodded. "This separation is what you wanted. You put us here. With your words, and your actions and your choices. You want a plan? Fine. But you tell me what the plan is since you seem to be in control of this whole thing..." He ran his hands through his hair again and didn't look at her. He didn't know what to say, how to respond. "I'm tired of hurting Finn. I'm tired of crying at night because my life is such a disaster. I'm tired of fighting with you and with Sheridan at every single turn. I'm just so...tired." She stopped to take a deep breath as her voice began to break. "Why has it taken you so long..."

He hung his head down and looked at the table, drawing imaginary pictures on the surface.

"Finn?" Her voice was quieter, softer.

"I don't know." He whispered. "I don't have the answers Rach. I don't know. I don't have a plan. This isn't what I wanted for us. This isn't how I imagined our life."  
She bit her lip.  
"And you think this is how I pictured us too?" Her voice broke again. She wrapped her hands around the warm cup of coffee in front of her. They sat quietly together for only a few seconds, though it felt like endless minutes.

"Rachel." He said softly. He lifted his head and looked across at her, where she was also looking down at her coffee. He reached across the table and touched her hand.

She looked up at him, her eyes glassy as she allowed him to touch her hand.

As he stared at her, he felt his heart break. What had happened to them? Why had it taken him four months to talk to her about this? This was his wife, the woman he had promised to love, honour and cherish for his entire life. The woman who all those years ago, had looked at him with those big brown eyes and had sunk him completely.

She bit her lip as she looked at him.

"Rachel, I'm so sorry." He said softly. He blew out a breath. "I'm just so sorry that this is what it has come to. I...never wanted it to get so out of control like this. But we have so many problems..." He sighed.

"I know" She uttered so softly that he had barely heard her.

"...I don't have the answers as to why it's taken me this long. I don't. Maybe I'm a coward? Maybe...I didn't want to face what had happened to us. We were happy once, right?" He played with the cup in front of him. She could only nod in response to his question. "All I can say is I'm sorry that...this has become such a mess. My head is so messed up and I just don't know what to do..."

"We could have talked about it Finn. We could have figured it out, gone to counseling..." She started.

"Really? You would have gone to counseling with me? Do you remember that night Rach? You threatened to call the cops..."

She held up her hand, and stopped him mid-sentence. "I do remember that night. It replays in my head every single night." She started. "Every time I close my eyes I hear the ugly, hurtful words that we both threw at each other. But that's just it...it was that night Finn. Four months ago. We could have fixed this. Maybe we still can fix this. I don't know. But you have to want to fix it too." He felt his shoulders sag as her words hit him like a ton of bricks. His heart both stopped and broke simultaneously.

"Rach..." His own voice broke. "I'm just...so sorry."

She sighed softly. "Maybe sorry just isn't enough"

She stood up from her spot at the table and walked away before he had a chance to say another word. He let his head fall down to the table with a loud thunk. He winced at the ache, both on his forehead and in his heart. What had he done?

He left the coffee shop just as it started to rain outside. He jogged to his car and got in, closing the door with a slam. He leaned his head on the steering wheel for a moment, trying to collect his breathing. It was only when he sat up that he realized the drops he felt on his face weren't rain after all, but tears that had been burning in his eyes for who knows how long. He hastily wiped them away and started the car with a sigh. He'd made such a mess, and he didn't know how to fix it or even if he could. He just hoped he wasn't too late.

* * *

_**Thoughts?**_


	12. And It's Waving

**A/N: How's this for productive days off, huh? Enjoy it!**

**As always, I only own Sheridan, Autumn and the plot. Everyone else is owned by Ryan Murphy & Fox. I've only borrowed them for my own entertainment. :)**

* * *

**Chapter 12: June 2027**

The last day of school was always his favourite. It was the one day in the year, where he could just have fun with his students with absolutely no ramifications whatsoever. He liked to make it into a party after they wrapped up the few housekeeping things they had to do, like collect text books and hand back any remaining assignments that he still had. Regardless, the last day of school was always Finn's favourite. And today was going to be the same.

He woke up to his alarm clock and groaned as he sat up, rubbing his face hard. He took in his surroundings. He'd moved into a small (really small, if you asked him) apartment at the beginning of the month and he was still getting used to waking up in the small, colourless bedroom. He still had things in boxes even that he was constantly tripping over when he moved around. Over the last month he'd collected the things that meant most to him from the house, which wasn't a whole lot. The boxes mainly contained his albums, clothes and the very few mementos that he had from high school. None of it really meant anything to him. It was all just that, things to stuff in boxes. The apartment was dull, boring when the girls weren't there. And that was often because they really hadn't spent a lot of time there since he moved in. It wasn't the same as being at the house, his house. It wasn't the same as being around his family day in and day out.

He threw his sunglasses on his face as he gathered his stuff for the day, his bag already packed with the little things he had planned to give his students as a reward for a job well done. He shoved his cell phone in his back pocket and made sure to grab his keys before leaving the drab apartment. Maybe with school over he'd have a chance to decorate a little more. Even the thought of that made his heart hurt. Decorating meant permanence.

He tried to remind himself on a daily basis that this whole situation was his fault. He'd brought all this pain, heartache and torment on himself. And while that had been helpful for the first few hours that he lived in this hellhole, it made his heart ache even worse afterwards. It was true. It was his fault. He was going to do something about it, even if it killed him in the end. He needed his girls to know that all though things were shitty, he still loved them and cared about them. Rachel included.

Things with Rachel in the last month had been slowly thawing. Since their conversation at the coffee shop it seemed like they both understood each other even just slightly better. Were things better? They weren't fighting as much anymore. Things weren't as tense as they had been since January. They were more civil to each other, they could be in the same room together without burning holes in each other's skulls. They could even hold a simple conversation. That had to be the start of something positive. He needed positive, they needed positive.

He got to school and parked his car, heading inside to his classroom. It was so bare inside, all that remained were the colourful backgrounds he had lined his bulletin boards with at the beginning of the year. As he looked at his classroom, he thought about how much had changed since the beginning of the school year. He sighed as he dumped his bag on the desk and pulled out the box of candy he had brought, along with the stack of papers he had to hand back. No time to reminisce, the class would be in soon. The warning bell rang as his phone buzzed from where he had thrown it on his desk when he walked in.

_Don't forget about Autumn's preschool graduation this afternoon at 2. Can you bring hamburger buns for the Bar-B-Q, please? ~ Rachel_

He smiled slightly. Typical Rachel. He hadn't forgotten about the graduation, that was kind of an impossible thing to do. Autumn hadn't let him forget it at all when she was over the weekend before.

_Of course I haven't forgotten. My parents are coming too. How many packs of buns do you need me to get? And can I bring anything else?~ Finn_

He didn't have time to read her response before the final bell rang and his class filed in. He didn't miss the excited looks on all of their faces. The freedom of summer was just around the corner for them.

He grinned as he stood at the front of the classroom as he took in the class one more time.

"Welcome to the last day of sixth grade!" To which he was met with excited cheers from the 30 students in front of him. "Now let's get all the boring stuff out the way so we can get to the fun stuff...take out your math books and starting with Owen's row, bring them up one by one and put them here..." He directed as he grabbed his master list of who was assigned which book.

* * *

He parked his car beside Rachel's, grabbed the little teddy bear he had bought for Autumn and headed into the small preschool. It felt a little bitter sweet walking into the building. Autumn was his baby and she was graduating from pre-school. Hard to believe that after today he wasn't going to come back to this building again. It had been the one Sheridan had gone to as well, when she was Autumn's age. It was hard to imagine Sheridan ever being as young as Autumn, it seemed like so long ago. Probably because it was that long ago. He walked into the building which was busier than he had ever seen it. He reread the last text Rachel had sent him about 15 minutes ago with the directions as to where to go and where most of their family was sitting. He followed her instructions and found them almost instantly. Sheridan had her head buried in her phone as usual while Rachel chatted with his brother who was sitting beside her. The seat next to Sheridan on the makeshift aisle was empty.

"Is this seat taken?" He asked softly with a smile on his face. Sheridan didn't even look up but Rachel turned her attention to him.

"We saved the aisle seat for you" She gave him a warm smile.

"Thanks." He took off his sunglasses by pushing them back up his forehead so that they rested on the top of his head.

"Did you get your report card?" Finn asked, trying to start a conversation with Sheridan. She looked up from her phone, turning her attention to him for a second.

She shook her head. "Yeah." She sighed.

"And? Are you going to summer school? Am I going to be stuck driving you at the crack of dawn every day?" She scrunched up her nose as she looked at him before her face broke into a little bit of a smile.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but nope. I passed math with a 57."

"That's my girl!" Finn held up his fist for Sheridan to fist bump before he leaned over and placed a kiss on her head. She smiled at her father before turning her attention back to her phone. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Rachel smile at whatever his brother was saying to her. He couldn't help but smile a little bit too.

The ceremony started with words from the director of the preschool before the whole class of them came out to sing a very cute, yet garbled version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Finn zeroed in on his little Autumn bug as she sang on stage, her little paper hat on top of her head, decorated with what he could only assume to be little gold stars. Like mother like daughter. She had a huge smile on her face and he gave her a little wave as tears pricked the corner of his eyes. He looked over at Rachel and saw her staring intently at the small little platform they had the kids standing on, her eyes focused on Autumn just as his had been. He reached in front of Sheridan and patted Rachel's hand gently. She turned her face to offer him a slight smile as the same kind of tears pricked the corner of her eyes as well. He turned his attention back to the stage and grabbed his phone to snap a picture just as the song was ending. The whole class sat down on the benches and one of the three teachers stood up to say a few words. They announced each child one by one to stand up and get their little certificate from the teachers. He smiled brightly and clapped loudly as the name Autumn Berry-Hudson was called out. He heard his stepfather whistle and saw Rachel dab at her eyes again as the little girl grinned back at them with a huge smile on her face. He snapped a few pictures before she sat down quickly on the bench, a big grin on her face.

He walked with Rachel to Autumn's classroom when the ceremony was over to collect their little girl. They walked down the hallway together and he gently placed his hand on her back when it got a little congested. They walked into the classroom and barely had time to blink before Autumn threw herself at them. She was so excited, she didn't know who to go to first.

"Mommy! Daddy! Mommy! Daddy!" She bounced on the balls of her feet as she looked between her parents. Rachel smiled and bent down to her height as Autumn threw her arms around her. "Did you seeeeee me?" She squealed loudly, right into Rachel's ear. Finn chuckled as he saw Rachel squint.

"Of course we saw you baby. You were beautiful." Finn bent down to her level as well. Autumn grinned and jumped from Rachel's arms to Finn's. He scooped her up and held her on his hip as he rose to his feet.

"What do you say we get going?" Rachel smiled at both Finn and Autumn. She smoothed out Autumn's dress that had bunched over Finn's arm. "I think a certain little girl has an entire family waiting for her out in the parking lot"

They said goodbye and thank you to her teachers, Rachel handing each of them a card that contained a gift card and copy of Autumn's graduation picture.

Finn carried her out of the classroom and out of the school as Rachel walked behind them.

"Mommy, it's a happy day! Don't cry!" Autumn squealed from Finn's shoulder. He heard Rachel chuckle as he turned around to look at her.

"You okay?" He looked at her.

She nodded softly. "Yeah. I'm fine." She smiled gently at him as they continued out to the parking lot together.

* * *

The party was in full swing in the backyard. Finn took a sip of the bottle of water he had as he stood in front of the bar-b-q, checking on the burgers every few minutes to make sure they didn't burn or overcook. He smiled when he turned around and saw Autumn running around on the grass with Cameron, her squeal was unmistakeable as she chased her older cousin. The rest of the family was mingling on the deck around the spread of chopped up vegetables, chips and dips that Rachel had laid out. The deck that he had built the summer after they moved into this house with his bare hands and Burt's help. He brought the water bottle to his lips just as Autumn came barreling at him and knocked right into his knees.

"Whoa there Autumn bug." He looked down at her. She looked up at him as she pushed her bangs out of her face, her cheeks flushed from all her running.

"Daddy, are the burgers almost finished?" She asked softly. "I'm hungry."

Finn chuckled. "They're almost done. Why don't you go ask Mommy to grab you some veggies?"

"Fine." She pouted. He brushed his thumb across her cheek and watched her stomp off to the deck yelling for Rachel. He chuckled and shook his head before he started scooping the burgers onto two different plates, separating the vegetarian burgers from the beef ones.

When he got them all, he grabbed the plates and walked up the few steps of the deck and over to the group of assembled people.

"Dinner is served." He smiled as he brought the plates to the table and sat them down. Rachel walked out of the back door with the two salads she had made to go with the burgers. Their family dug in as he stepped away from the table to let them in. He watched as his mother helped Autumn with her veggie burger and Sheridan chatted with Blaine about the training she had for a job at the day camp as she got her own beef burger together. He looked over in the direction of the house and caught Rachel's eye. She gave him a soft smile as she returned his look, before going about getting her own plate together.

"Finn, you want me to get your burger together too?" His mother asked as she sat on the chair beside Autumn. He shook himself out of the daydream he was having and smiled at his mother.

"No, I got it. Thanks." He smiled. He put his own plate together and went to sit on the steps beside Burt.

"Great job on the burgers" He lifted his veggie burger towards Finn before bringing it to his mouth to take a bite.

"Thanks." Finn bit into his own burger as Sheridan came and sat on the other side of him.

"Thought you were sitting with Uncle Blaine?"

She shrugged. "Gave my chair to Mom. Thought I would come sit with you and Poppy." Finn smiled at her. "And to ask you if you can take me to my training tomorrow..." He turned to look at her.

"Of course I can. What time is it at?"

"11am."

He nodded at her. "I'll pick you up at 10:30"

"Alright." She paused to take a bite of her burger. "Thanks Dad."

"Not a problem." He smiled at her again before going back to his food.

* * *

At the end of the night, it was just the four of them left. Sheridan was lounging on the hammock that hung between the only two trees in the yard, her head as usual in her phone. Finn chuckled as he watched her for a moment. She was so involved in whatever she was doing he wouldn't put it past her if she hadn't realized that it was starting to get dark and the backyard light had come on. He gathered up the plates after scraping any leftover food from them into the garbage bag he had. Rachel had taken Autumn into the house to put her to bed, as she had been falling asleep in her arms just a few minutes before. The sliding backdoor opened and Rachel came out, her long brown hair now tied back into a ponytail at the back of her head.

"You didn't have to do that." Rachel sighed as she closed the door behind her.

Finn placed the last plate on top of his pile and shrugged. "I wasn't just going to stand here and do nothing while Sheridan has her head stuck in her phone."

Rachel gave him a weak smile. They both heard the creak of the hammock and heard Sheridan approach them, not saying anything as she walked past the pair going into the house. They worked together to tidy up the table. Finn collected all of the dirty dishes and took them inside while Rachel gathered up the remaining bowls of food and brought them into the house in two trips. Finn dumped the dishes into the sink and immediately went to start the water to set up the dishes. He was just starting to wash them when Rachel came into the kitchen with the final bowl from the backyard.

"You can leave those. I can do them later." She said softly as she moved around him, looking for the plastic wrap.

Finn shrugged. "I've already started them. It's alright, won't take me long." He saw her pause and pull her bottom lip in between her teeth. She nodded ever so slightly and went to the other counter to wrap up the extra food.

They worked in silence with the TV from the living room being the only sound they heard, coupled with the running water and their own breathing. She finished a lot sooner than he did and he could feel her eyes on his back as he finished the last dish. He rinsed the plate and placed it in the drying rack before turning the water off and turned to look at her as he dried his hands. She was standing there with a beer in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. He arched an eyebrow at her as she held the beer out to him.

"It's one drink." She said softly. He took the bottle from her and followed her out of the kitchen towards the backdoor once again. He swallowed hard as he walked behind her, watching her hips sway as she walked. Instead of sitting at the table, she sat down on the steps looking out into the small backyard. He sat down beside her, leaving a little space between their hips and took a long sip of the beer she had given him. They sat in silence, each of them taking in the quiet of the early night.

"Did Sheridan talk to you?" Her voice broke into his thoughts. He turned to look at her. "About her training tomorrow?"

"Oh. Yeah. She asked me if I could take her. I said sure..." He paused. "That's okay, right?"

"Yeah. It's fine. I'd told her I would take her over but..." She took a sip of her wine. "She said she wanted you to take her."

Finn nodded. "I told her I'd pick her up around 10:30 and take her over. I can pick her up when it's over too and bring her back here..." It wasn't his weekend this weekend. She nodded.

"That's fine. Thanks."

A silence fell between them.

"You alright?" He took a swig of his beer as he looked at her. Even in the dark he could see the dejected look in her eyes.

"Yeah. I'm just fine." She sighed.

"Come on Rach, you can't fool me. I like to think I know you still..."

She sighed again, louder than before and took a sip of her wine. "Just tired. Today's been kind of emotional. And Sheridan wanting you to take her..."

Finn nodded. He got it. She didn't need to say anymore. "It has been kind of a bittersweet day, hasn't it? Autumn's not a baby anymore..." He trailed off. "I felt the same way when I got to the pre-school. Today was the last day I'd ever go there and walk to her classroom. That kind of made my heart break a little bit. And about Sheridan? I'm sorry. When she asked me I thought she was asking because you couldn't take her. I can tell her no if you want..."

She shook her head. "It's fine. I'm just being sentimental. It's her first job..."

Finn smiled a little bit in understanding as he brought the beer to his lips. "The girls sure are growing up, aren't they?"

She blinked a few times as she looked out into the yard. "I feel like I blinked and Sheridan was turning 10."

"That's because we did blink and she was 10." He chuckled. "You have to admit, those first few years with her were kind of insane. With finishing high school, and college and..."

"...Colic and crawling and teething..." She laughed softly. She looked down at her hands when she trailed off.

"It's nice to hear you laugh." He whispered.

"It feels even nicer to be laughing." She sighed, taking the last sip of her wine and putting the glass down beside her.  
She cleared her throat when she swallowed the last of her wine before resting her elbows on her knees, bringing her head to rest in her hands.

"So, for Monday..." Finn started.

"Monday?" She questioned.

"You do work Monday, right?" He asked softly.

"Oh." She sighed, running her fingers through her ponytail. "Yeah. Right. Monday."

"Sheridan has to be at the bus for the camp at what time?'

"I think 8? We can double check with her in the morning. I can drop her at the bus if you can meet me there to take Autumn..."

"That works." He took the final sip of his beer, placing the empty bottle beside her wine glass.

They'd decided two weeks ago, when Sheridan had announced that she had gotten the job as Camp Councillor for the Lima YMCA, that Finn would take Autumn during the day while Rachel worked. Rachel had toyed with enrolling her in the same camp that Sheridan was working at, but after going over the finances it just wouldn't be possible this summer. So they'd struck up the plan for her to stay with Finn during the weekdays and eliminate his Wednesday night visits for the summer. For his part, Finn was ecstatic at the thought of spending every day with his little girl.

"And I'll text you to let you know when I'm on my way home..." She trailed off.

"That sounds good. I think Sheridan said she would be back at the school by 4:30, so I can pick her up there and then bring the kids back to the house before you get home..."

She nodded her head in agreement.

A silence befell them again as they sat there. They were only broken out of their individual trances when the back door opened slowly and Sheridan stepped out onto the deck.

"Oh, Sher, you're still awake?" Rachel asked softly as she turned to see her daughter standing there.

She nodded, giving her Dad a sideways look. "I didn't realize Dad was still here..."

Rachel sighed. "We're just talking about next week. What time do you need to be at the bus stop for camp?"

She bit her lip as she looked at her parents. "I think the bus leaves at 8:20, so I'd need to be there around 8..."

Both Rachel and Finn nodded.

"What are you doing out here?" Finn asked softly.

"I was just coming to say good night." She said softly. Finn stood up and gave Sheridan a soft hug.

"Good night sweetheart" He kissed her head and released her, just as Rachel stood up and did the same. Sheridan smiled at both her parents weakly, before walking slowly into the house again.

Finn stretched his arms above his head and pulled his phone out of his pocket when he dropped them back down. His eyes bugged when he saw it was nearing 10pm.

"Shit, I didn't realize it was this late. I should get going." He sighed.

Rachel nodded and led the way to the back door that Sheridan had just walked through. He followed her into the house and towards the front door. She stopped and hugged her arms around herself as they stood there for a moment.  
"Well thanks for coming." She said softly, shifting her weight from foot to foot. "I appreciate all your help..."

He shrugged. "No big deal. Thanks for the beer."

She shrugged him off as well. They stood there for a moment before Finn fished his keys out of his pocket. He opened his arms to her a little. She looked at him curiously.

"We can hug, can't we?" He asked softly. She bit her lip and cocked her head to the side for a moment before going against her better judgement and wrapping her arms around his chest. It was a brief hug but to Finn he felt like it lasted forever. When he pulled away, he gave her a small smile.

"I'll see you tomorrow when I pick up Sheridan..." He said softly when he reached for the door. She nodded just as he opened the door.

"Alright. Thanks again Finn. Good night."

"Good night Rachel." He smiled at her again as he walked out of the house and towards his car.

* * *

When he got home that evening, Finn threw his keys on the small table he had picked up at Goodwill and shucked off his shoes. He rubbed his face hard as he walked more into the small apartment towards the kitchen. He pulled open the door and grabbed for one of the beers Puck had brought over when he helped him move in. He sighed as he twisted off the cap and threw it in the sink, leaning back as he took a sip. Memories of the day flew threw his mind as he thought about the graduation ceremony and the party at Rachel's. What haunted his thoughts the most was the one on one time he'd gotten with Rachel this evening. It had felt so nice to just sit there and talk to her without it becoming a huge issue. They were heading into some new territory now, and it actually didn't scare the shit out of him. This new territory seemed to be one that came with a sense of peace, or maybe it was just how it felt to give up and give in. But the look on her face at the beginning of the conversation haunted his thoughts. The look of sadness, how completely beaten down she had looked had broke his heart. He knew he had put that look there. And the way she had looked when he had opened his arms to her? That had just about killed him. He never wanted her to feel like that. Never wanted her to have to question his motives when it came to any gesture he made to her. He was supposed to protect her, be there for her and he had taken all of that from her when he walked out and stayed away all of those months ago. He took another swig of his beer and swallowed hard. Things were getting both easier and harder at the same time. Now that his emotions were in check, now that he had even just a little bit of clarity in his own eyes it was opening him up to her world of emotions. She didn't need to say anything, her eyes had always been the most expressive part of her. He could tell almost exactly how she was feeling just by looking at her. And tonight she had let him see just a little bit more, and what he saw made him feel like the worst husband in the world. He'd broken the once strong Rachel Berry-Hudson and he was determined to put her back together. No matter the cost.

* * *

Rachel locked up the house after Finn left, letting her hand linger on the door knob for a moment before turning out the lights and making her way up to her bedroom. She was just going into the bathroom when she heard Sheridan's door creak open. She turned around to find her daughter standing in the doorway, her face clean of the makeup she had been wearing and her dark hair piled on top of her head.

"Mom?" She said softly.

"Yeah Sheridan?" She said softly, placing her hands on her hips. Sheridan stepped out of the doorway and crossed the small hallway over to the bathroom. She stood in front of Rachel for a moment, biting her lip before she opened her arms and wrapped them around her mother in a genuine hug. Rachel's eyes watered as she wrapped her arms around her daughter.

"I love you" She said softly.

"Oh Sheridan, I love you too." She whispered.

Sheridan pulled away and nodded at Rachel. "Good night."

"Good night sweetheart."

Rachel walked into the bathroom and closed the door. She listened for Sheridan's door to close before she turned on the water and allowed the tears to fall from the corners of her eyes. While she appreciated the gesture just now, it had pushed her over the edge. It had been an emotional day to begin with, with Autumn's graduation and...she'd actually held a semi-enjoyable conversation with Finn and now Sheridan was being...well Sheridan... She let out a watery chuckle as she wiped at her tears for a moment before going to wash her face. She felt like today had been a dream. But she knew reality would smack her in the face at some point. But was it so bad to wish that it wouldn't?

* * *

_**Thoughts?**_


	13. We're High Then We're Low

**A/N: Thank you for all your reviews! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 13: July 2027 **

Autumn could barely contain her excitement. She ran around the house as Rachel chased after her, attempting to do her hair. Sheridan chuckled from her spot on the couch, looking up from her phone as Autumn dashed passed her again.

"You know, you could help me wrangle the little squirt rather than just sitting there with your face in your phone." Rachel puffed as she collapsed into the arm chair.

Sheridan sighed and threw her phone on the couch cushion beside her. "Where's the fun in that?" She laughed.

Rachel rolled her eyes as Autumn came running into the living room like a hurricane. She managed to grab her just as a knock sounded at the door.

Rachel pulled Autumn into her lap and managed to trap her with her legs.

"Can you get that please? It's probably your Dad." Rachel sighed as she grabbed the brush she had dropped beside her and began to run it through Autumn's hair.

"Fine." She sighed. She pushed herself off the couch and stomped towards the front door.

"Good morning." Finn smiled from the other side of the door.

"Hey Dad" She opened the door wide and let him into the house, just as Rachel finished with Autumn's hair and she came barrelling down the hallway towards him.

"DADDY!" She threw herself at Finn as he bent down to catch her.

"Well good morning to you too Autumn bug." He laughed as he gave her a hug before releasing her. Rachel stood further back and smiled at the interaction between her daughters and Finn. He smiled at her when she stood up and stuck his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

"Good morning Rach" He smiled.

"Morning Finn." She smiled. "Autumn has sunscreen on already. Sheridan promised me she put some..."

"Mom, I put it on. Relax. I won't burn." Sheridan rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms.

"And that's the kind of mood she's in today..." She sighed as she ran her fingers through her messy hair.  
Finn sighed.  
"Daddy! Do you like my piggy tails?" Autumn asked in a high pitched squeal as she pulled on Finn's grey t-shirt. "Daddy!"

He looked away from Rachel and down at Autumn who was looking up at him with big eyes. "I love your pigtails." He grinned. She giggled as Sheridan sighed and stalked away from the three of them and headed towards the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Rachel called.

"I need to get my charger for the car..." She called back as she headed into her room.

Rachel rolled her eyes as she looked at Finn. "Good luck with her today."

Finn sighed again. The corners of her lips piqued in a small smile for a moment as she looked at him. She shook her head out of the Finn trance she seemed to be in.

"I packed a bag for you guys...there's some sunscreen, Anti-Nauseant, both kids and adult..." She listed off everything she had packed in the bag for them, including Sheridan's epi-pen.

He nodded along as he listened to her ramble. He interrupted her after a minute. "Rach, why don't you just come with us?"

Her eyes widened as she looked up at him. She took in the genuine smile on his face as she bit her lip.

"Yeah Mommy! Come with us!" Autumn shouted and immediately grabbed her mother's hand. Rachel squinted at Autumn's excitement. It was a little early for such loud exclamations. "Come on Mommy! Come to Cedar Point with us! Please Mommy, please, please!" Autumn shouted.

She sighed as she looked at Finn for support. He just shrugged his shoulders and looked at her with a small smile.

"What else could you have planned for your day off?" He asked softly.

She sighed and ran her hand through her knotted hair. He was right. She didn't have anything planned other than doing some yard work and housekeeping. She had actually been looking forward to having the entire weekend to herself. It was odd that a 'Finn weekend' lined up with a non-working weekend.

Autumn continued to pull on her hand as she jumped up and down. "Please Mommy! Pleassssssse!"

"Alright." She sighed running her fingers through her hair again. "Alright, alright."

"Alright what?" Sheridan walked up behind them, her charger in hand.

"Mommy's going to come to Cedar Point with us!" Autumn shrieked.

"God Autumn, do you have to be so incredibly loud this early?" Sheridan complained.

"Hey!" Both Rachel and Finn shouted at Sheridan. She cringed.

"We can leave you behind you know" Finn threatened. "Smarten up and lose the attitude."

Rachel sighed and ran her hand over her face. "Alright, I need like ten minutes to get dressed and stuff. That okay?" Finn nodded as Autumn grabbed his hand and tugged him into the living room to turn on the TV. Sheridan groaned as she headed into the kitchen.

Rachel ran for her bedroom and shut the door firmly behind her. She opened her dresser and pulled out a pair of dark blue shorts and a light pink tank top. She stripped herself of the pajamas she had been wearing and changed quickly before running to the bathroom to get her hair under control and throw on some makeup. As she stared in the mirror, she tried to calm her racing heart. Why was she doing this? How had she let her four year old convince her to get in a car, drive two hours away with her estranged husband to spend the day at an amusement park? She rubbed her foundation into her skin quickly and threw on some mascara before deciding that she looked just fine. It was only Finn and the girls after all. No one really to impress.

She left the bathroom and walked back downstairs, heading to the kitchen to grab a few extra things for herself to add to the bag she had packed. After grabbing her sunglasses from the counter she went into the living room.

"Alright, Autumn go to the bathroom and then we can hit the road. If you're ready, Finn..." She added softly. He nodded, grabbed for the remote in front of him and switched the TV off before ushering Autumn towards the stairs to go to the bathroom.

"Sheridan, you should go too..." He mentioned as Rachel stood at the doorway to the room. They both heard her groan but went towards the stairs anyway.

"It's going to be a fun day." Finn mumbled as he watched her leave. Rachel sighed and walked out of the living room towards the front door.

"It'll be fine." Rachel sighed. She hoped. She prayed it wouldn't be awkward and that Sheridan would cooperate.

She locked the door behind her family as Autumn ran towards Finn's car in the driveway. Sheridan followed her at a slower pace. She blew out a breath as she watched her family climb into the car and tried to keep herself in check. It was just a day out with the girls. That was it. Finn just happened to be there.

Finn sighed as he helped Autumn into her car seat as Sheridan scowled from beside her.

"We're going to have a good time today, altogether. Capice?" He turned his gaze to Sheridan. He could tell Autumn was ecstatic that Rachel was tagging along with them.

"Just one big happy family with no fucking issues." She mumbled under her breath.

"Sheridan." He growled, tightening the strap on Autumn's lap belt before pulling himself out of the car. He walked around to the other side of the car and opened Sheridan's door. She turned to look at him.

"Watch your mouth." He pointed his finger at her. "Enough is enough." He stared at her for a moment before closing the door again.

He heard footsteps and smiled slightly when he saw Rachel coming down the walkway towards the car. He opened the driver's door just as Rachel was reaching the passenger side. He nodded at her and got in himself as she opened the door and slid in herself. He turned around to glare at Sheridan just as she was putting her headphones in her ears.

"Let's hit the road." Finn smiled, looking back in the rear view mirror at Autumn who grinned back at him with her plastic, pink sunglasses hiding her pretty eyes.

"Let's go Daddy!" She squealed.  
He turned the car on and smiled as he looked over at Rachel before he slid his own sunglasses over his eyes and put the car in reverse.

* * *

By the time they arrived at Cedar Point, Rachel had begun to allow herself to finally relax. The car ride had been comfortable, with Sheridan squared away with her earphones in her ears and Autumn chattering in the backseat. Finn had turned on the radio half an hour into the drive, settling on Top 40 station to fill the comfortable silence.

"We're here!" Autumn squealed from the backseat as Finn pulled into the queue to pay for parking.

"Settle down pipsqueak we still have to pay for parking" Sheridan groaned as she pulled her earphones out of her ears and turned off her iPod.

"Sheridan, really?." Rachel sighed as she bent down in front of her to grab her wallet as Finn pulled forward. They were next in line. She opened the zipper and tried to hand him some money.

"Seriously Rachel?" He chuckled a little bit as he looked at her. He gently pushed her hand back towards her. "Put that away..."

She smiled at him and put the $10 bill back into her wallet before she threw it into her purse again.

They got through the booth and Finn found somewhere to park.

"Here we go! Cedar Point, the Berry-Hudson's are here to conquer you." He laughed as he looked back at Autumn. She kicked her legs wildly and squealed.

"Can you be more embarrassing?" Sheridan mumbled.

Finn groaned before he got out of the car after he parked it. Rachel followed suit and helped Autumn out of the backseat. Finn slung the backpack Rachel had packed over his shoulder as Autumn reached for his free hand. He smiled as he looked down at his little girl as the four of them walked towards the ticket booth. This time, Rachel didn't try to hand him money as he handed the ticket attendant his credit card to pay for the four passes.

* * *

By lunch time, they had conquered a good portion of the park, satisfying both girls requests for rides as they went through.

"Mommy, I'm hungry" Autumn mumbled as they walked out of the gate from the Helicopter ride. She clung to Rachel's hand and looked up at her as they walked towards where Finn and Sheridan had been waiting.

"Let's see what Daddy wants to do. I think Sheridan wants to get one more ride in before lunch."

"But I'm hungry nowwwww" She whined as they approached Sheridan and Finn.

"Autumn, you're going to have to wait." Rachel sighed.

"Daddy, I'm hungry" She whined, pulling away from Rachel's hand and lunging at Finn. He grabbed her quickly and sighed. Sheridan tapped her foot impatiently from beside him.

"I told her Sheridan wanted one more ride before we get lunch. You wanted to do the Raptor before lunch right?" Sheridan just nodded her response.

"But I'm hungry nooooooooowwwwww" Autumn whined. Rachel waited for Finn to say something.

"Sheridan, would you mind waiting until after lunch for the Raptor?" Finn asked softly. "I'm kind of getting hungry myself..."

Rachel heard her huff and knew she was probably rolling her eyes under her sunglasses. "I guess. Can we get pizza for lunch though?"

"I don't want pizza..." Autumn whined. "I want a hot dog..."

Finn and Rachel stared at each other, both inwardly groaning. "I really don't want a hot dog for lunch Mom." Sheridan sighed. They started to walk away from the ride and head off towards the main area where there were a string of restaurants for food. The first place they came upon was a pizza place, and it looked fairly empty. Sheridan looked at her parents.

Finn crouched down and looked at Autumn. "Can you please have pizza for lunch? Sheridan is being nice enough to wait until after lunch to go on her ride because you are soooooo hungry. Can you just eat pizza, please?"

Autumn crossed her arms over her chest and pouted as she looked at Finn.

"I. don't. want. pizza." She stomped her foot as she glared at Finn. "Mommy, I don't want pizza. I want a HOT DOG!"

"Fine, whatever. Give the brat whatever the fuck she wants." Sheridan threw up her arms. Rachel immediately felt any feelings of calm leave her body as she glared at her older daughter.

"Sheridan!" She exclaimed. "And that's going to get you what you want?"

"Alright, alright." Finn stood up and stopped Rachel and Sheridan from getting into it. "How about this, you guys go sit over there..." He pointed to some picnic tables "and I'll get lunch. Sheridan will get her pizza and I'll find Autumn a hot dog." He ran his hands through his hair as he looked at the three women in front of him. "Is that good for everyone? Can we stop fighting?"

Sheridan sighed as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine."

"Okay Daddy." Autumn sighed.

"Rachel?"

"Whatever Finn." She let out a breath. She took Autumn's hand and led her to the tables Finn had pointed out while Finn forced Sheridan to follow her. So much for a relaxing day at Cedar Point.

* * *

Autumn grinned to herself as she ate the hot dog Finn had got her for lunch as Sheridan scowled over her piece of pizza. When Finn returned with the girls and his lunch, Rachel got up and went to get a salad for herself. There was finally silence as everyone ate their lunches. When they were all finished, Finn collected their garbage and threw it out as Rachel helped Autumn reapply sunscreen.

"Alright, here's the plan for the afternoon. We're going to do a few rides that Sheridan wanted to get to before lunch time and then we can do a few that we can all ride. Capice?" Finn stared between Sheridan and Autumn, avoiding Rachel's gaze.

"Okay Daddy" Autumn smiled as she looked up at him. Sheridan nodded her agreement. Rachel passed Sheridan the bottle of sunscreen as she went about fixing Autumn's hair. When Sheridan handed it back to Rachel, by force of habit she passed it over to Finn who took the bottle from her. Their fingers brushed against each others on the bottle. Rachel pulled her hand back immediately as Finn smiled slightly.

"Thanks" He said softly, squirting some of the white liquid into hand and applying some quickly to his face, neck and arms.

"You should put some on too Rach. Your nose is starting to get a little red..."

She touched her nose gently as he passed the bottle back to her.

When the four of them were ready to go, they started back on their mission to ride as many rides as possible.

Rachel and Sheridan stood by the gate watching as Finn and Autumn went around and around on the little roller coaster with Lady Bugs. Every time they came by at an almost glacial pace, Finn made a face at Sheridan to make her laugh.

"Dad's ridiculous" Sheridan laughed as Finn and Autumn passed them one last time. Rachel smiled at her daughter.

"He did the same thing when he went on it with you all those years ago. You probably don't remember because you were so..."

"I remember. That's one of my favourite memories. Uncle Puck and Aunt Quinn came too, right?' She said softly.

Rachel nodded. "Yeah. You begged Uncle Puck to go on the Merry Go Round with you. And he did."

Sheridan smiled as she remembered the same memory, thinking of her mohawked Uncle taking her on the merry go round over ten years ago. They were interrupted when Autumn and Finn caught up to them.

"Did you see us?" Autumn squealed as she grabbed for Rachel's hand.

"I did." She smiled. "It looked like you and Daddy were having so much fun!" Finn groaned as Rachel said this. She couldn't help but chuckle at him.

"Alright, I want to go on the Pipescream. Dad, you want to ride that one with me? Might be more your speed and it will for sure make Mom sick"

It was Finn's turn to chuckle this time. "Sure, that sounds more my speed."

They walked towards the ride and Finn and Sheridan got in line while Rachel found a bench that was close with Autumn.

"Mommy, can we get some ice cream after this?" Autumn implored, as she sat on the bench with her feet swinging back and forth under her.  
Rachel's eyes were zoomed in on the ride that Finn and Sheridan were about to go on. Just by looking at it alone, she felt like her stomach was going to roll. She knew Finn would be fine, but as she continued to stare she was unsure how Sheridan would fare.

"Mommy? Ice cream?" Autumn tugged on her arm.

"We'll have to see how Daddy and Sheridan do after this ride..." She looked down at Autumn who pouted, and then nodded.

When they emerged from the exit of the ride, Rachel immediately picked up the bag Finn had left with her and began digging for the anti-nauseant she had packed. She knew it would come in handy. Both Finn and Sheridan's faces were chalk white, and they both looked like they were going to throw up all over the place. She hastily opened a bottle of water and shoved the pills at them as soon as they came close enough to her. Finn took them gratefully and sucked them down before passing the same bottle of water to Sheridan.

"Dare I ask how the ride was?"

"I think I'm done." Finn raised his hands, trying not to shake his head too much. Sheridan swallowed hard and nodded slightly in agreement.

"As soon as I saw how twisty it was I knew you guys would be done for." Rachel tried to say sympathetically. She reached over and rubbed Sheridan's back.

"Does that mean we're going home?" Autumn asked softly.

Rachel sighed and crouched down to be on her level. "Are there more rides you want to go on Autumn?"

"The merry go round." She said softly. "And the motorcycles. And I still want ice cream" She pouted, looking directly at Rachel before turning her gaze to Finn. Rachel sighed again and stood up.

"I think we can manage. Sher and I might have to sit the rest out though, so if it's okay with Mommy..." He turned to her.

"Those ones sound fine to me. You alright to hang in a little while longer Sheridan?" She asked, eyeing her daughter. Some of the colour had begun to return to her face. She only nodded.

"Yeah. Maybe by the time you guys are done on those rides my stomach will be able to handle some ice cream."

Rachel only nodded. They sat on the bench for a few minutes while Sheridan and Finn collected their bearings. When they were ready, they headed over to the Motorcycles. While Rachel and Autumn rode them, Sheridan and Finn found a bench to occupy.

"Dad, do you remember coming here when I was Autumn's age?" She asked him softly as she leaned back against the back of the bench.

Finn turned his eyes from the ride where he was watching Autumn and Rachel ride it to look at Sheridan.

"I do. That was a good day." He smiled as he looked at her. "You were so little. And you had Uncle Puck wrapped around your finger that day. Even made him ride the..."

"...Merry Go Round" She added with a smile. "I remember. That was fun." There was a lull in the conversation as the ride came to a stop. They stood up and they waited for Rachel and Autumn to come off so they could walk to the Merry Go Round.

After Autumn and Rachel were done on the Merry Go Round, they hit the ice cream stand before they settled at a table to eat it. Sheridan's stomach had recovered enough that she could eat some strawberry ice cream. Autumn devoured her chocolate ice cream happily, the ring of chocolate around her mouth was evident. Both Rachel and Finn smiled as they watched both their girls. Rachel had opted for chocolate frozen yogurt while Finn slowly sipped a grape slushy. When they were all finished and Autumn's face had be thoroughly cleaned, Finn hoisted Autumn onto his back as they headed out of the park and towards the car.

The drive home was quiet, Autumn fell asleep in her booster seat and Sheridan had put her headphones in her ears and leaned back to close her eyes. Rachel kept her gaze trained out of the window as Finn drove down the highway towards home.

"I'll drop you at home and then take the girls to my place. Is it okay if I bring them back just after dinner tomorrow?" He asked softly, breaking the silence that had enveloped them. Even the radio was on so quietly that they could barely hear it.

She nodded slightly at his words.

"Do you remember the first time we took Sheridan to Cedar Point?" She asked softly, turning her attention from the window towards her estranged husband. He looked over at her, a small smile playing at the edges of his mouth.

"I do. She'd just turned five the Christmas before and had been begging to go since she saw the commercial. Apparently we'd gotten cable at the apartment too soon." He laughed. "And she'd been up pretty much all night the night before because Puck opened his big mouth and told her we were going."

Rachel chuckled. "Yeah. That was so much fun. I wanted to kill him after that. That's why we made him sit in the back with her on the way there."

"We were so young back then. We had no idea what we were doing." Rachel whispered. He turned to look at her again and smile.

"We did the best we could. We were old pros by the time that trip came around."

"Old pros at 22. That just sounds weird." She laughed.

"It was our normal by then. We thought we were on top of the world that summer. I'd finished my first year of teaching, you were almost finished with your journalism diploma. We were flying high..." He added wistfully. When had everything changed?

She sighed, almost mournfully and turned her attention back to the window. They made the rest of the drive in silence. Finn reached over to turn up the music ever so slightly.

* * *

When they finally reached Lima and Rachel's house, Finn pulled in the driveway and Rachel immediately went to undo her seatbelt as he put the car in park.

"Well thanks for including me. I appreciate it." She said softly as the belt receded. She grabbed for the bag and her purse at her legs. Finn nodded.

"Thanks for coming along. It was fun." He yawned. "I'll have the girls back..."

"Dad..." Sheridan interrupted from the backseat. "Would it be okay if I stayed with Mom tonight? I..."

He looked back in the rearview mirror at her.

"Uh, yeah. But why..."

"I just want to be home tonight. If that's okay. It's nothing against you." He nodded as he caught her eye in the mirror.

He sighed before looking over at Rachel for approval. "Is that okay Rachel?"

"Of course it is." She smiled at Finn again, thanking him once more before getting out of the car. Sheridan followed suit, stopping at Finn's door to kiss his cheek before following Rachel up to the front door and inside the house.

Finn waited until they were both safely inside the house before he pulled out of the driveway and headed for his apartment.

Rachel flicked on the hallway lights as her and Sheridan made their way into the house. It was chilly in the house, as it had been locked up all day and the air conditioner had been doing its job. Rachel made her way into the kitchen with Sheridan following.

"Do you want me to make you something quick to eat?" She eyed the clock and saw that it was well after 6pm.

Sheridan shook her head as she pulled her hair from the elastic. "I was actually going to go take a shower. And then I was hoping that we could, maybe talk?"

Rachel tried not to let the surprise show on her face. Talk? Sheridan wanted to talk? Who had come and traded her daughter with one that wanted to actually spend time with her?

She shook her head from her thoughts. "Sure. Absolutely." She smiled as Sheridan nodded and walked away, heading for the bathroom. Rachel blew out a breath and untied her own hair, before pulling it back into a ponytail. She made herself a bagel and quickly ate it while Sheridan showered. The more she thought about it, Sheridan had the right idea with showering. She finished her bagel just as she heard the water shut off upstairs. She poured two glasses of ice tea and added some ice before heading into the living room and sinking down on the couch. She closed her eyes for a moment as the busy day in the sun caught up with her and her mind began to run away with all the thoughts of what Sheridan could possibly want to talk to her about. She tried not to let the worst thoughts get the better of her. She remembered her own conversations with her fathers, some that had started with similar words. One especially...the one in which she had told them Sheridan was on her way. She shook her head trying not to let those thoughts overtake her.

Sheridan plopped down on the couch beside her, pulling her from her thoughts.

"Is that for me?" She pointed to the ice tea on the table in front of her. Rachel nodded yes in response. "Cool. Thanks." Rachel smiled at her as she placed her own glass down on the table just as Sheridan was reaching over to take a sip of her own. They sat in silence for a few minutes both of them just letting the day catch up to them and simultaneously wear off.

"Can I ask you a question?" Sheridan asked after a few minutes.

"Of course. You can ask me anything." She said softly. _Brace yourself_ was all that she could think of.

"I guess it's not really a question. But I was listening to you and Dad in the car..." She paused for a moment. "And you said when I was 5, you guys were 22."

"Right. You turned 5 in December, and your Dad turned 22 the May before, me about 9 days before your birthday..." She smiled softly, memories flooding her thoughts.

"So that would have made you..." Sheridan trailed off as she thought about what she was about to ask.

She'd always known her parents were young. It wasn't hard to determine. Once she'd learned simple addition and subtraction at the tender age of 6, she'd figured out pretty quickly that her parents were younger than those of her friends. It hadn't meant she loved them any less, and for awhile she had thought it was cool to have young parents. They'd never really talked about it, but after listening to her parents conversation in the car she figured now was the time for questions.

"Are you asking how old I was when you were born?" Rachel swallowed slowly as she looked at Sheridan intently. She nodded in response. "I had just turned 17. You were actually supposed to be born on my birthday, but you stuck it out for a few extra days. Guess you really wanted to be a Christmas baby." She smiled, remembering that day fondly.

Sheridan chewed her lip, trying to think of what to say next. She'd been right, her parents were 17. But hearing it confirmed, made her sad? That wasn't even the right word. She shouldn't be sad about how young her parents were...

"But I wouldn't change anything Sheridan. Sure, when we...when I found out I was pregnant with you, I was scared out of my mind. I was 16 and I had only been dating your father for 6 months when you came along..." She trailed off, collecting her thoughts for a moment. "I've never been more scared in my entire life but he made everything okay..." She waned as her mind drifted again to memories of that fateful day.

"It must have been hard for you guys..." Sheridan wondered out loud, her thoughts wistful.

"It was. You were born at the beginning of our senior year of high school. And if you think Grade 9 is hard..." Rachel laughed. "Try Grade 12, with a newborn."

"What did you guys do?" She asked. "I mean, I know you guys graduated together because I've seen the pictures at Nana and Poppy's. And I'm in some of them..."

"We have some of them here too." She smiled, thinking of the pictures in her head. Her and Finn in caps and gowns, a drooly six month old Sheridan in a pretty white dress with black polka dots and a red bow in what little hair she had at that time, in Finn's arms.

"Mom..." Sheridan brought her back down to earth.

"It wasn't easy Sheridan. We split our time between Nana and Poppy's and Grandpa and Granddads. Everyone worked in rotation to take care of you during the day. Mainly Nana took care of you, because at the time she worked as a nurse and her shifts worked better with our schedule. Grandpa and Granddad covered when she couldn't because they worked mainly from home. Daddy would drive me home at lunch time so I could feed you, and we got exempt from study hall so we had an extra 45 minutes added to our lunch break. It was crazy, but we made it work. We did a lot of our homework together because we had most of the same classes, and only when you were sleeping. Because once we got home from school we wanted you all to ourselves. You were our responsibility." Her voice drifted off. "I wouldn't change it for the world Sheridan."

"But you guys were so young..." Sheridan wasn't sure what she was going to say or ask. Her parents had basically given up their entire lives to raise her. And she'd been such a brat to the both of them when they both needed her understanding the most.

"We were. We were really young. But raising you was the only option." She paused, realizing how that probably sounded. "You know Grandpa and Graddad adopted me. That wasn't an easy experience and from the moment I knew you existed, I knew that I wanted you more then I wanted anything in my entire life." Sheridan nodded, her own thoughts going into overdrive.

"Do you regret it?" She asked quietly.

Rachel didn't even have to think about the question.  
"Not even close. Having you, even though I was so young, was one of the best decisions I ever made."

"Even if it meant you were stuck with Dad..." She mumbled.

"No one was stuck with anyone. We stayed together and worked so hard to make it work because we loved each other and loved you so much."

Rachel gazed intently at her daughter. "Is that what you think? That I was only with your Dad because we had you?"

She shrugged. "I don't know."

"Sheridan, if that was the case we wouldn't have gotten married and..."

"But did you get married BECAUSE of me?" She asked.

Rachel shook her head. "No. I married your father because I loved him. And I wanted to have the same last name as him."

"But you don't, you hyphenated. Like me and Autumn."

"But it was important to me to add the Hudson so we were all connected. I loved him and wanted to be with him forever."

"How did you know all of this so young? I mean you were what, 18 when you guys got married?"

Rachel nodded again. "You showed me. Having you showed me what it meant to be loved unconditionally, and that love also came from your father as well. And since we already had you, the next logical step because we loved each other so much was to get married. He proposed after we graduated high school and we married the next February." She said softly.

"Do you still love Dad?" She asked quietly.

"I will always love your father. Because he gave me you and Autumn." She smiled sadly.

"Mom, you know that's not what I mean..." Sheridan trailed off.

There was silence, as the two of them soaked in the conversation they had just had. Sheridan felt like her head was heavy with the thoughts and information she had just learned weighing her down. Rachel was wondering if she had told her daughter so much. Both chewed their lips silently.

"Today was a good day, wasn't it?" Sheridan asked after a few minutes.

"It was a great day." Rachel smiled. "I'm glad I let Autumn talk me into coming."

"Me too Mom, me too." Sheridan smiled.

* * *

_**Thoughts? **_


	14. Merry Christmas, Darling

**AN: I know you guys don't like the flashback chapters so much, but considering where Chapter 13 went, this one is pretty important!**

**As always, I only own the original characters and the plot. Everyone else belongs to Ryan Murphy & Fox.**

* * *

**Chapter 14: ****_December 2011.  
_**_**December 15th...  
**It was her birthday. And what was supposed to be her child's birthday. The fact that she was still pregnant pissed her off and put her in the foulest of moods for what was supposed to be a happy day. She waddled down the hallway towards her locker as the school day ended. She was exhausted, her back was killing her and she just wanted to go home and do absolutely nothing. Except she had her weekly appointment and her father's were coming over to Carole and Burt's for dinner to celebrate her birthday. She was in such a terrible mood that she almost wanted to just call the whole thing off and just sink into her bed forever. They'd been staying mostly at Finn's lately, as his bed was bigger and there were less stairs. Plus, his mother was around and her father's were gone...a lot and what Rachel really needed was someone who knew what she was going through. Her father's supported her in the decision in wanting to stay there, wanting to help as much as they could mainly because Finn sure didn't help at all sometimes. But he was a 17 year old boy too, on the precipice of the scariest moment of his life...just like her. They needed all the help they could get._

_She flung her locker open and literally threw her books into the space. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt someone touching her back. She whipped around as quickly as she could ad stared at the offending person who was touching her only to find it was Finn._

_"Wow" was all he said when he saw the look on her face. Her face crumpled a little bit when she looked at him, the tension fading from her face as she saw it was him. "You okay?"_

_She shook her head and placed her hand on the small of her back. "No. I'm exhausted. Everything hurts. Your child keeps kicking the crap out of me and if one more person touches my stomach without asking I swear..." She ranted. Finn's hands fell to her stomach and rubbed comforting circles on the sides. He was rewarded with a gentle kick to his left hand. She leaned a little bit into his touch, her forehead coming to rest on his shoulder. He moved his hands from the sides of her stomach to the small of her back and pulled her against him softly. After a minute, they pulled apart._

_"C'mon. We have to get to our appointment so we can get to your birthday dinner."_  
_She nodded as he kissed her head again before they collected their stuff and left the school hand in hand._

* * *

_"This. Is. Not. Fair!" Rachel grunted as she stormed into the house, slamming the door behind her. Before the door could close, Finn stuck his foot in to try and get into the house himself. He shook the snow out of his hair as he stood in the entryway of his house. He watched quietly as Rachel tried to get herself out of her (well, it was actually his) jacket. "Don't just stand there, help me!" She growled as she turned around and glared at him. He felt the hair raise on the back of his neck as he moved to help her out of the coat._

_They're appointment hadn't really gone as well as they had hoped. Much to their disappointment, it seemed like their baby (boy or girl, Rachel had insisted that they leave it a surprise) was still nice and comfy in the home Rachel had grown for the little one. And to say Rachel was annoyed and frustrated was putting it mildly. And she was letting it be known just how upset she was with this._

_"I'm due TODAY Finn. TODAY. Do you understand that?" She growled as he led the way into the kitchen._

_"Yes Rach. I understand that you're due date is today." He said with a smile as he opened the cupboard to grab a quick snack. "It's also your birthday..."_

_"I don't care about that." She interrupted, slapping her hands on the counter and glaring at her boyfriend fiercely. "I want your giant spawn OUT OF ME! That's what I want for my birthday. Nothing else!"_

_"I know Rach. I know. But you heard Dr. Mather..."_

_"Dr. Mather knows nothing about what it's like being 40 million weeks pregnant." She moved around the island clumsily and threw open the fridge to find something to drink. "Especially 40 million weeks pregnant with your humungous baby."_

_Finn groaned as he listened to her rant. He was used to this by now, Rachel had been irritable and agitated with just about everyone, especially him the entire pregnancy, even more so since she crossed the unholy threshold of 9 months pregnant. She was usually calm and semi-pleasant in front of their parents but the moment they were alone she let him have it. Today was no exception. If anything, the fact that it was an appointment day made Finn's life worse._

_"I'm pretty sure Dr. Mather has said she has kids herself Rachel." He should just insert his foot in his mouth right now. He was pretty sure if she could, Rachel would beat the shit out of him._

_"Fuck off Finn. If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all." She slammed the refrigerator door closed and waddled over to the cupboard for a glass before stomping into the living room._

_"Dear God, end this quickly. For all of us involved." He mumbled just as Rachel hollered for him to join in her in the living room._

_He'd no sooner sat down on the couch when Rachel curled up next to him as close as she possibly could, her large belly getting in the way. Finn let a small smile play on his lips when he felt a nudge against his side where her stomach rested against him._

_"I'm sorry I'm such a bitch right now." She whispered as she leaned her head on his shoulder. He turned to look at her, reaching his one hand to rest on her stomach while the other reached around her shoulders to pull her closer to him. He kissed her head._

_"It's alright."_

_"No it's not" She shook her head. "It's not fair to you that I keep screaming at you. I just want the baby out. I want to know if he's a he or she's a she" She pouted. "It's my birthday, I should get what I want."_

_Finn couldn't help but chuckle a little bit. "I know baby. Me too. We just have to be patient, alright? Dr. Mather said the baby will come when it's good and ready. And if labour hasn't started on its own by Christmas she'll induce you."_

_"I just...I want to move on with our life Finn..." She sighed. "Get on with all the plans we've made for the rest of school and life..." He leaned over and kissed her head just as the baby thumped under his hand again._

_"I know." He sighed._

_They stayed cuddled on the couch, and that's where Carole found them when she came home, dinner with her. Rachel was half asleep on Finn's shoulder as he flipped through the channels on the TV. She'd picked up take-out from Breadstix, as that is what Rachel had requested for her birthday dinner._

_"Guys? Hiram and Leroy are going to be here soon, you want to go freshen up a little?" Carole asked softly as she sat on the coffee table in front of the couple. She touched Rachel's knee gently. Her eyes fluttered a little bit as Rachel blew out a breath. She was hungry and probably looked like death. But for once she was comfortable, and getting up to clean herself up would cause her to lose the position she was in. She nodded slowly as a large yawn escaped her mouth._

_Carole held her hands out and helped Rachel untangle herself from Finn to allow him to stand up from the couch and stretch. Rachel groaned when the baby kicked against her sides in earnest._

_"Alright, I get it. You're hungry. We're going to eat" Rachel sighed, as if saying it out loud would pacify the unborn._

_"Still kicking a lot?" Rachel nodded as she leaned into Finn who had wrapped his arms around her. _

_Carole let the couple head upstairs to get freshened up, just as the doorbell rang downstairs indicating that Rachel's fathers had arrived for her birthday dinner. They both changed their clothes quickly and Rachel touched up the little amount of makeup she was wearing before they headed downstairs to the dining room._

_"There's our little girl!" Her Daddy exclaimed as they caught sight of the two of them. Rachel smiled as she embraced her Daddy and Papa._

_"I'm not so little Daddy." Rachel laughed as she pulled away._

_"You'll always be our little girl." Hiram kissed her head before pulling a chair out for her to sit in. She smiled her thanks as Finn took the seat beside her._

_They dug into the food Carole had brought home. A chicken caesar salad for Rachel (the only meat-like item she allowed herself to really eat and only while she was pregnant) while the rest of the family enjoyed roasted chicken, mashed potatoes and veggies._

_"How did your appointment go?" Carole asked after a few minutes of silence had enveloped the table._

_"Terrible." Rachel groaned. "I've only dilated 1cm. Dr. Mather doesn't think he or she is going to come any time soon. My due date is TODAY Carole!" She cried in exasperation as she dropped her fork._

_Carole tried to smile at the younger woman. "Due dates aren't 100% accurate. Finn was 8 days late."_

_Rachel groaned. "Wonderful. Cause I really need the baby to have more time to get even bigger." She placed her hands on her stomach and felt around, the baby kicking slightly._

_Carole gave her a sympathetic smile. "I'm sure it'll happen soon."_

_"I hope so" Finn mumbled as he shoved some chicken into his mouth before anyone could say anything else._

_Apparently Hiram and Leroy had both heard him but chuckled in response. They'd been around Rachel. Everyone who had been within a 30 mile radius of Rachel in the last few weeks knew very well how great she was to be around._

_After dinner was finished and Finn and Burt cleared the table, her Dads brought out the cake they had brought with them. Rachel smiled as she watched her Dads place the vegan chocolate cake in front of her, tears coming to her eyes as the 5 most important people in her life sang her happy birthday, and her child kicked inside of her. She closed her eyes, sucked in a breath and blew out the candles making a wish as she extinguished them. She only prayed her wish would come true. And soon. _

* * *

_**December 23rd...  
**Dr. Mather had suggested they walk. Well, she had suggested that she walk but if she was going to do something, there was no way in hell she was doing it without Finn. Not even an incessant back ache was going to stop her._

_Finn parked the truck in the furthest spot from the mall entrance and turned off the ignition. He turned to Rachel who was starring out the windshield of the truck as her hands ran over her stomach._

_"What's wrong?" He asked immediately, seeing the intent look on her face. She bit her lip._

_"Nothing's wrong. Unless you count the fact that your child is still inhabiting my body as something that's wrong so to speak." She grumbled. "I just, he's not kicking a lot anymore."_

_Finn raised an eyebrow at her. "But you HAVE felt the baby kick lately, right?"_

_She nodded quickly. "Just not as much as like a month ago."_

_Finn sighed. "Do you want to go home? You were complaining about your back earlier, maybe this walking thing isn't such a good idea."_

_"It's a great idea." She snapped. She went for the door handle to thrust the door open. "Plus, we still need to find a gift for Burt for Christmas" She slid carefully out of the passenger side of the truck. Finn groaned and followed her lead. For someone that was a week overdue, Rachel moved quite quickly._

_They walked up and down the mall, weaving through the frantic last minute shoppers that surrounded them. Finn had originally planned on just getting Burt a nice cologne for Christmas, but Rachel had insisted that that wasn't good enough. She was making a huge deal out of this, as it was their first "family" Christmas and she wanted it done right. Even though each of their parents had insisted on no gifts, as they had the baby to think about. But once again, Rachel prevailed and Finn tagged along. More or less because it was much, much easier to go along with what she wanted._

_Two hours into their trip, they hadn't managed to find anything for Burt. Finn had suggested a million and one things in every store they had gone to, but nothing satisfied Rachel. He was growing concerned because as they walked from store to store she kept a hand firmly on the small of her back. He was beginning to wonder if this was a bad idea and if he should be taking her home._

_They walked into the record store and began looking around. Burt loved movies, action ones especially. Maybe they could just get him one of those? Like one of the newer ones? Her father's had been easy - they gotten them each a new shirt and tie for their business meetings. They'd gotten his mother a cookbook Kurt had said she had mentioned wanting. And for Kurt they'd gotten him some pair of gloves that Rachel knew he wanted. But Burt, Burt was perplexing and he was just about ready to give up. He was perusing the New Releases aisle, leaving Rachel behind him when he heard a large gasp followed by her urgently calling his name. He whipped around to find her doubled over, her arms wrapped around her stomach. He got over to her in two large strides and pulled her to his body._

_"What's wrong?" He asked softly. He tried to gently tug her into a standing position but she curled into herself more. He looked down at her trying to figure out what to say or do._

_"I think I just had a contraction" She said softly, finally looking up at him, her eyes wide with a hint of terror. She grabbed for his hand to pull herself up only to double over again, her head lodging in his stomach as what she could only assume was a contraction overtook her._

_"Alright, alright." He said calmly trying not to freak out completely. "Let's get out of here." He hooked his arm around her waist and held her to him as he guided her out of the record store and towards the exit of the mall._

_"What are we going to do about Burt's gift?" She mumbled as he helped her into the truck. He helped her do up her seatbelt before taking her hands in his._

_"I think he'll forgive us." He said softly. "Let's get you home."_

_She nodded slightly and let him close the door as her hands fell to her stomach._

_Finn's fingers clenched the steering wheel in his hands as he came to a stop light. He looked over at Rachel to find her breathing deeply, her hands on her belly._

_"You alright?" He asked softly._

_"Wonderful." She whispered softly. "Just peachy. I really want to lay down."_

_He nodded silently and pressed the gas as the light turned green._

_They got home and Finn quickly parked the truck in the driveway and ran around to help Rachel out of the truck. He took her hands and led her up to the front door._

_"Have you felt another one, since we left?"_

_"One more." She said softly. "Can you open the door please, it's cold out here..."_

_"Sorry" he apologized and hurried to open the door. They found the house empty and Finn sighed, hoping that his mother would have been home. He guided her into the living room after helping her out of her coat and boots before going to the kitchen to get her a glass of water. He leaned his hands on the counter, taking a few slow, deep breaths as he collected his thoughts._

_"Finn?" She called from the living room. He picked up the glass he had filled for her and walked into the living room. He found her leaned against the pillows on the couch, her hands spread all over her stomach. He placed the water on the table and sat beside her. She immediately grabbed for his hand and squeezed a little._

_"Contraction?"_

_She nodded. "Contraction."_

_When it passed, Rachel took a sip of her water before laying down on the couch with her head in Finn's lap._

_"Can we call your Mom?" She asked softly when she was finally comfortable. Finn looked down at her and nodded._

_"Yeah." His voice was a little shaky as he dug into his back pocket to pull out his phone. He dialed his mother's cell phone quickly and waited for her to answer._

_"Hi Mom?" His voice shook a little as Rachel grasped his hand. "Mom, we need you to come home..."_

_It had turned out that Carole was already on her way home from her own Target shopping trip. When she arrived at the house, Finn had managed to time the contractions Rachel was experiencing and determined them to be about 10 minutes apart. Rachel immediately felt at ease when she saw Carole who immediately calmed her nerves._

_"It's going to be okay." She soothed as she patted her hand. "Everything is going to be just fine."_

_As her contractions got closer together as the night went on, Rachel began to feel more uncomfortable. They had called Dr. Mather who had advised them to call her back when they were about five minutes apart. Rachel grew restless with all the people around her, so she relocated to their bedroom so she could try and relax. They laid in the bed, Finn steadily timing her contractions and getting more nervous as they got closer together. Rachel squeezed his hand hard as another one came rolling through._

_"That...was...more...intense." Rachel sighed as she leaned back against him._

_"5 min..."_  
_He was cut off when he felt a warm, wetness spread underneath him._

_"Uh, Rach?"_

_"Finn..." Her voice was strained as she sat up straighter against him, clutching his hand again. "I think my water just broke."_

_"I would say so." He said softly. "MOM!"_

* * *

_Rachel groaned as she thrashed on the bed, her back arching and her eyes closing tightly. As the night wore on, her contractions were coming closer, faster and harder. She had lost track of how long she had been there, how long she had been suffering. All she knew was that it hurt, and nothing was making it better. She wanted to cry. She caught her breath as the contraction ended and she opened her eyes. Finn was standing right beside her, her hand still clutched in his hand. She loosened the grip she had on him and raised her hand to touch his cheek._

_"I'm so sorry." He whispered._

_"It's not your fault." She sighed._

_"Yes it is. It's all my fault..." He leaned closer and pressed a kiss to her forehead. She didn't have time to argue with him._

_"Finn..." She groaned. She leaned up and panted as another contraction overtook her. Her grip tightened on his hand. He tried to place a cold cloth on her forehead but she pushed him away. She arched her back again as immense pressure filled her. "You need to call Dr. Mather...it hurrrrrrts"_  
_He snapped out of his trance and reached up to slap the call button above her bed, just as she let out another groan._

* * *

_"Alright Rachel, just a few more pushes and you're done here, alright? Take a deep breath..." Dr. Mather stated from her place at the end of the bed._  
_Rachel shook her head as she clutched Finn's hand, fighting against the urge to push._

_"No. I can't do this. I can't do this...I can't be a mom..." She cried, trying to hold herself back. She was tired, she'd been at this for hours. It was the early hours of the morning and her baby was finally ready to be born. She could feel the pressure, she knew the baby was ready. But she couldn't do it. She was tired, everything hurt. She wasn't ready._

_"Rachel. You need to push. Your baby needs you to push..."_

_Finn turned her face towards his, a few tears in the corner of his eyes. He let go of her hand for a moment, shaking it out before lifting it to wipe the tears from the corner of her eyes. "C'mon Rach, we're almost done. Let's do this...let's have a baby"_

_Her lip trembled as she stared at him. She nodded slowly as he took her hand again and helped her brace her leg. She took a few deep breaths before going again for what felt like the millionth time._

* * *

_She felt like it was taking too long. She pushed over and over and felt like she wasn't getting anywhere. That was until she felt it. She felt the most intense pain she had ever felt and she couldn't stop the sob that emerged from her lips._

_"One more time Rachel, you're almost through. The head is right here..." She turned to look at Finn who was moving his head between where Dr. Mather was sitting and Rachel's head._

_"Come on baby, you can do it..." He tried to encourage. She nodded and took one more big breath before bearing down for one of the last times._

_And then it was over. All of the pain, the suffering. It was virtually all gone. And a loud, demanding cry filled the room as Rachel finally allowed herself to collapse against the bed in exhaustion. The screaming newborn was placed on her chest as the nurse who had stood on her left wiped her down with a white blanket._

_"Congratulations, it's a girl." Dr. Mather smiled from her position._

_Finn felt his lip trembling as he just stared at Rachel and the baby, his daughter!, a look of awe and wonder crossing his features all mixed with a healthy dose of terror and fear._

_"Hi baby girl. Hi" Rachel said softly as she placed her hand on the little girls back as she continued to scream. Finn leaned closer to get a good look at the baby before the nurse took her over to the warmer to get fully cleaned off._

_"We have a girl." She cried into his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her softly on the forehead before Dr. Mather interrupted them, needing to tend to Rachel._

_"We do." Finn wasn't sure his voice was going to work. He cleared his throat as he kissed her head again. He didn't have the words to describe how he felt right now._

_The baby was returned to them when she was cleaned and weighed and Rachel had herself been cleaned up._

_"Here she is" The nurse smiled, looking at the couple. "8 pounds, 10 ounces of beautiful baby girl." She handed the baby to Rachel who bit her lip as she took her from the older lady. She looked down at the little girl who was finally settling down. "She looks good. I'll be back a little later to check on you guys. If you need anything just hit the call button." They both nodded. And then silence enveloped them. They were alone._

_Their families were waiting out in the waiting room, waiting as patiently as they could. Rachel had kicked everyone out just when things started to get really uncomfortable. And at this moment, Finn was so grateful that it was just the three of them, but so terrified at the same time. It was the three of them now. Not just him and Rachel. But him and Rachel and her._

_"She's so beautiful." Finn whispered as he placed a hand on her back. The baby yawned from Rachel's arms. Finn chuckled. "That was tough work, huh baby girl?" He murmured softly._

_Rachel looked up at Finn with tears in her eyes. He leaned down to her and placed a soft kiss on her lips._

_"I'm so proud of you" He whispered against her lips. "So so proud of you."_

_She pulled away from him and leaned back more on her bed as she looked up at Finn. "I love you so much." She paused. "Thank you for not running away...from me...from her...from us."_

_"I can't imagine anywhere else I'd rather be." He said softly as he sifted his fingers through her hair. She gave him a slight smile._

_They both took a second to look down at the baby who whimpered in her arms. Finn couldn't take his eyes off the little baby. Rachel patted the bed beside her, indicating that she wanted him to join her. He did so slowly, trying not to hurt Rachel or jostle the baby too much. When he was settled, Rachel leaned more into his side as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She yawned, her eyes catching the clock. It was well after 3am. No wonder she was so tired, it had been a long 12 hours._

_"She needs a name." Finn said quietly as he ran his fingertip along the baby's knuckles. She opened her tiny fist as her eyes slid open as well, her fingers curling around his one. "Hi there princess. You're so pretty."_

_Rachel smiled down at the baby and then up at him._

_"So...Sheridan Carole or Elisa Carole" Rachel glanced down at the baby. "Sheridan or Elisa." Finn stared intently at the baby._

_"This is a lot harder then it seems. What we pick will affect her life forever..." He sighed before repeating both of the names they had narrowed it down to in the last few weeks. "Sheridan Berry-Hudson or Elisa Berry-Hudson."_

_"Elisa with our last names sounds like a mouthful..." Rachel murmured as she nuzzled her nose against the newborns. The baby squawked a little._

_"So...Sheridan?" Finn asked quietly, still allowing the baby to clutch his finger. "Sheridan Carole?"_

_"Sheridan Carole." She repeated, looking down at the baby. "Well hello Miss Sheridan. We've been waiting a really long time to meet you baby girl"_

_The baby blinked slowly as she yawned again._

_"She's beautiful, just like her Mama." Finn sighed, kissing her cheek. "Except with blue eyes."_

_"You know they'll probably change, right?" Rachel laughed softly. "And she has your nose." It was his turn to chuckle._

_"Poor girl." He laughed. The baby yawned again and slowly closed her eyes. "Hey Rach?"_

_"Yeah?" She turned her attention from the baby to her boyfriend._

_"Do you think I could...hold her?"_

_Rachel's face softened as she looked from Finn to Sheridan and back again._

_"Oh Finn, of course." She sighed softly. He nodded as she gently shift her arms and passed the content newborn from her arms to his. "Watch her head..."_

_He nodded as the baby settled in his arms. Rachel cuddled up to his opposite side as he held Sheridan in the crook of his other arm. "She's so little." Rachel nodded in agreement._

_"You ready for this?" He asked softly, nodding towards the baby._

_"Are you?"_

_"Are we supposed to be?" He laughed a little more uneasily then he had intended._

_"We'll be okay, right?" She whispered, the importance of the day catching up with her. Reality sunk in. They had a baby now. Life had changed forever._

_"We're going to be just fine." He promised. "Just you, me and this gorgeous girl." He leaned his head down and kissed the baby's forehead._

_They were quiet for another moment before Rachel spoke up again. "Hey Finn?" _

_"Yeah?" He looked up from staring at Sheridan. _

_"Merry Christmas." She smiled. _

_He grinned tiredly at her before leaning over to kiss her softly. "Merry Christmas Rach. And Merry Christmas to you too Sheridan." He placed a kiss on the baby's hat covered head. _

* * *

_**Thoughts? **_


	15. Boom

**Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your reviews! I hope you guys like this next chapter, things are going to start moving fairly quickly after this...I apologize that it's so much shorter than previous updates but I swear it's for the best! Enjoy!**

**And I own no one that is on gLee, they're all Ryan Murphy's property. Just the original characters and the plot.**

* * *

**Chapter 15: August 2027**_  
_Rachel walked through the fair working as quickly as she could to collect the pictures and information she needed for her assignment. She slipped her camera back into the case and zipped it up securely. She slung the bag over her shoulder before flipping through her notepad to make sure she had taken all the important information about the people she had just taken photos of.

"Thank you so much." She smiled as she looked at the family of four in front of her, the two little girls shoving mouthfuls of pink cotton candy in their mouths, looking happy. Something she wished for her own girls. Maybe the age gap was beginning to be too much between her girls. They seemed to fight more often than not right now. Both seemed to know what got on each others nerves and hers as well.

"So when can we expect to see the pictures in the paper?" The mother asked, smiling slightly at Rachel and bringing her out of her daydream.

"It'll be part of the section on the fair, which will come out on Friday. The pictures may hit our site the day before though, so you can look for them then." The woman nodded. Rachel shook her hand as well as her husband's, before handing them a business card and leaving them be to enjoy the rest of the fair.

She ran her fingers through her hair after she adjusted her sunglasses. She still needed a few more pictures and was running out of ideas of what to shoot. She'd taken a few of kids on rides, people enjoying food and playing games. The only thing left to do was walk through the craft booths, which she was dreading. It had been raining off and on all day and the area where the craft booths were was particularly muddy even on a good day. She looked up at the sky and saw that it was once again starting to get quite grey. She prayed that it would hold off a little bit longer so she could finish her assignment, grab the girls and head home. Her phone in her back pocket vibrated and she almost groaned, she knew exactly who it was. She hadn't heard from the girls in a little bit, so it had to be Sheridan. And she was sure it was pleasant.

_Are we almost done here? The brat is driving me insane..._ Sheridan had wrote her. Sheridan's attitude was beginning to get to be a little too much at times. Rachel sighed, trying to decide what to write to her. She didn't know how much longer she needed to be here. She still felt like she was missing something for the article she had to write.

_I just have to take a few more pictures. _She responded.

_Where are you? She wants cotton candy and I have no money. _ Rachel sighed immediately.

**_I gave you $20 Sheridan. _**

Ride tickets are expensive Mother. So where are you? Her whining is really annoying.

Rachel groaned. _I'm heading to the craft section. Where are you guys, I'll come to you..._

"Right behind you."

Rachel whipped around to find Sheridan and Autumn standing behind her. Sheridan had Autumn's hand locked in hers, her phone in the other. The scowl on Sheridan's face was very telling of how unhappy she was with the situation. She'd thought bringing the girls would be a good idea. It was a fair for God's sake, there was tons to do here. What she hadn't banked on was the weather being so miserable, but she had to be here and Autumn had been so excited...and well she couldn't entertain Autumn and do her job at the same time. So that's where she had figured Sheridan would be a good big sister. The scowl said otherwise.

"Mommy I want cotton candddddddddddddy" Autumn whined, using her free hand to push her hair out of her eyes. Rachel made a mental note that she really needed a hair cut before school began in a few weeks. "I really, really want some pink cotton cannnnnnnddddddddddy" Sheridan promptly rolled her eyes down at Autumn before sticking her hand out in Rachel's direction. Rachel sighed, her frustration bubbling.

"Alright, alright..." She pulled her bag around and dug into the pocket where she had stuck some cash, her ID and car keys. She handed Sheridan a $10 bill. Sheridan eyed her wearily. "Here. I'll be done in another half an hour. Go get the cotton candy and then I'll meet you guys under the food pavilion like we had planned, alright?"

Sheridan sighed loudly and Rachel tried to hold back the groan she felt coming.

"Okay Mommy!" Autumn giggled just before Sheridan tugged her away from Rachel and back towards where all the food carts were stationed. She could hear Sheridan faintly mumbling something about inequality and injustice. Rachel sighed as she watched them walking away, Sheridan virtually dragging Autumn behind her, the little girls feet barely keeping up. Maybe today hadn't been a good idea after all. At least Autumn was still somewhat smiling, an improvement from this morning.

Rachel tried to beat down the feeling of annoyance that was beginning to form in her stomach. The girls had been fighting from the moment they woke up this morning, and if she had had half a mind she would have dropped them both somewhere...anywhere else while she went on her assignment. Sheridan had been in a mood all week since they got home from Finn's the previous weekend and it just seemed like Autumn was playing off of her irritation, finding all the wrong buttons to push. She really needed some reprieve from this hell. When did school come back in session? She wandered through the craft tables, taking various pictures and talking with the different vendors about what they were selling and how they came to be involved with the fair. Some were interesting and had been involved for a few years while others were new. The newer ones seemed more enthusiastic about getting their picture taken for the paper.

She was just getting the information from a man who ran a woodworking booth when she heard it. The loud boom in the sky, indicating thunder just as the sky opened up and it began to pour. She smiled at the booth operator before pulling the hood of her sweater over her head. She ran for the pavilion she had agreed to meet the girls, getting drenched in the mean time while hoping they had got there already. She spotted the girls immediately and Autumn broke away from where she was standing with Sheridan.

"Mommy, there's thunder!" She cried as she latched onto her hand. Autumn's eyes were wide with fright as she looked up at her mother. Lately Autumn had become terrified of thunder, lightning and anything that made big noises at night. Rachel nodded at her daughter as Sheridan ran to her.

"Why are we just standing here?" She stomped out. "Let's go!" She took off in the direction of the street, where Rachel had parked the car. Both Rachel and Autumn followed quickly behind. She unlocked the car with the key fob when she got closer and Sheridan jumped into the car before Rachel had even reached the car with Autumn.  
**  
**When she got Autumn safely into the car with her seatbelt connected, she opened the trunk and shoved her camera bag inside. She could hear the arguing and squabbling coming from inside and she sighed as the rain beat down on her.

"Lord have mercy" She mumbled as she grabbed for her door handle and slid into the car herself.

"You're a big meany Sheridan!" Autumn pouted from the back seat, her arms crossed over her chest.

"What did she do now, Autumn?" Rachel looked back in the rearview mirror as she turned the car on. She shivered a little bit when the air conditioning came on full blast. She immediately turned it down.

"Nothing. Just telling her to suck it up because she's sooo scared of the thunder." Sheridan mimicked.

"I seem to remember you were afraid of the thunder when you were her age. You jumped into bed with me and your Dad all the time..." Rachel sighed as she went to pull out onto the street slowly. Sheridan screwed up her nose and turned away from Rachel to look out the window.

"Seeeeeeeeeee!" Autumn singsonged just as another boom of thunder went off. She squeaked in fright and her back went rigid.

"Whose being a baby now, huh twerp?" Sheridan turned around and glared at Autumn who was pouting.

"Mommy, Sheridan called me a baby and a twerp!" Autumn shrieked as she kicked her legs, hitting Rachel's seat.

"Autumn, stop screaming. Sheridan, be nice to your sister. Remember you were once little." Rachel reprimanded.

"Yeah, but I wasn't such a brat when I was little. I was a cool kid." Sheridan mumbled. "This has by far been the worst day of my life."

"I highly doubt that today was the worst day of your life." Rachel sighed as she came to a stop light. Every day was the worst day of Sheridan's life lately. She ran her fingers through her wet hair.

"You didn't spend the day with the brat. And the lame rides. And the stupid carnival games. And the mud. And the rain" She grumbled unhappily.

"Sheridan, I'm warning you." Rachel sighed. "Can't you just be nice for once? I thought it would be a..."

"A what, a nice day? Right, I'd rather get my tonsils removed without anesthetic then spend any more time with that brat back there..."

"Stop calling me a brat!" Autumn yelled at the top of her lungs.

"AUTUMN! Inside voice. Sheridan, SHUT UP!" Rachel shrieked as the light turned green and the cars in front of her began to go.

"No! She is a brat! A spoiled, selfish little brat that always gets her way!" Sheridan crossed her arms over her chest like a child.

"Sheridan, I swear to God..." Rachel seethed as they started to go through the intersection. She turned her head to look at Sheridan for a split second.

"MOOOOOM!" Sheridan screamed.

None of them saw the SUV coming speeding from the other direction until it was too late. Much too late. **Everything went black.**

* * *

_**I'm sorry. Thoughts? **_


	16. I'm Sinking Inside Pt I

**A/N: Don't kill me. Don't kill me. Don't kill me.  
Just read it. I promise it'll all work out the way it's supposed to in the end. PROMISE. **

**As always, I only own the original characters and the plot...everyone else is owned by Ryan Murphy and Co.**

Shout out to my mom who really REALLY helped me out with this chapter. And to my best friend who once again has another doctor named after her...Ben the paramedic is named after her son as well :)

Anyways, enjoy...and as always...please review! It lets me know that people are actually (kind of) enjoying this ride. 

* * *

**Chapter 16: August 2027**

Sheridan opened her eyes and blinked a few times in rapid succession. What happened? She blinked and felt immediate pain as she lifted her head off the window to sit up. A blue SUV - they'd been hit she remembered as the vivid scene burst through her haze. They'd been hit and then...silence. Sheridan blinked again trying to bring her vision to focus. The inside of the car was quiet, not even a small sound invaded the small space. She could hear rustling coming from somewhere outside the car but was unconcerned about that at the moment. She turned to her left and saw her Mother's body slumped over the steering wheel.

"Mom?" She croaked out. Her voice was barely above a whisper. She tried to clear her throat of the garble, but it was no use. She lifted her left arm and tried shakily to touch Rachel. "Mom? MOM!" She cried out her voice hoarse and broken. When Rachel didn't respond immediately, Sheridan felt the sob rise in her throat. "MMMOOOOMMMM" she wailed as the crisis became real to her. She twisted her body around and was met with an excruciating pain running up her left leg, a pain she had never before experienced. She screamed in agony, turning toward the back seat just as voices were coming closer to the car on the outside.

"Autumn? Autumn, wake up!" She cried as she looked at her sisters small body, slumped over to the left of her. "AUTUMN!" She cried as her voice rose an octave, the unbelievable pain radiating up to her hips as she turned. She reached over to try and touch Autumn but cried when the seat belt restricted her from doing so. She saw blood slowly dripping down the side of Autumn's face onto her clothes causing Sheridan to bite her lip hard. She sobbed as she turned her body back properly before trying to rouse Rachel again. "Mommy..." She cried. She felt something on her own forehead and she reached her hand up to touch the spot that felt damp. She pulled her fingers away to see blood staining her fingers from her own forehead. She heaved as she wiped her fingers on her shorts hastily, her sobs rising as the red stained her otherwise light blue coloured shorts. She tried to move her leg even just a little bit to give her some space to grab her purse and the pain all but nearly made her black out again. She spotted her mother's cell phone which had miraculously survived the impact still in the console between them. She grabbed it with shaky hands and dialed her father's number by heart.

She lifted her Mom's cell phone to her ear and prayed that he answered his phone just as the pain in her leg shot through her again.  
"Please Daddy" She begged quietly into the phone. The phone rang several times before she finally heard him pick up. "DADDDDDDDDY" She screamed into the phone just as he picked up.

* * *

Finn heard his cell phone ringing out in the living room. He was just getting out of the shower, and he quickly wrapped a towel around his waist before leaving the bathroom. He figured he would miss the call, but when it kept ringing he picked up his pace to get to the phone. He picked up the Blackberry and stopped when he saw Rachel's name across the screen. His heart pounded in his chest for a moment before he shook his head and pressing answer.

"Hello?"

"DADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDY" He heard on the other end of the line. It wasn't Rachel at all, it was Sheridan.

"Sher? What's wrong?"

"Daddy..." She sobbed hysterically. "Daddy...Daddy... SOMEONE HIT US ...AND WE'RE... WE'RE STILL IN THE CAR..!"

"What? Sheridan? Where are you?" He didn't know if it was possible but his heart was starting to race faster. He walked quickly towards his bedroom and threw on the first outfit he could put together as he cradled the phone against his shoulder. Sheridan sobbed into the phone.

"Daddy, we..." She heaved. "...accident..." She cried into the phone.

Finn's heart stopped and his fingers clenched around the phone.

"Sher?"

"Daddy, they won't wake up. I tried. Daddy!" She heaved into the phone.

"Sher...Sher it's going to be okay." He could hear voices on the other end of the line. Voices that he didn't know. Sheridan must have dropped the phone because he heard her sobbing again and then a pained scream. Finn's breath left his body as he clutched the phone to his ear, even though it killed him to listen to her screaming. He had to get to his family.

* * *

Sheridan flinched when a paramedic came to her side of the car and looked in on her.

"I'm Ben, I'm a Paramedic and I'm here to help you, can you tell me your name?" Sheridan's eyes widened as he looked at him.

"Sheridan. Sheridan Berry-Hudson." She cried. She leaned her head back on the seat. "You need to help my mom. A...an...and my sister. They're not...they're not awake."

"We're going to help them Sheridan, I promise. And we're working on it but we need to get you out and help you too. Does anything hurt?"  
Sheridan nodded her head quickly, wincing when she moved it too fast. "My leg hurts the most..." She cried. "Please just help my mom and my sister..."

"We will Sheridan. But we need to get you out so we can get to them, alright? Can I undo your seatbelt?" Ben asked softly. She nodded as she leaned back against the chair. He undid the seatbelt and her shoulders slumped a little bit and she cringed. "I'm going to pull you out, alright? I'm going to grab under your shoulders and pull you out as slowly as I can. I'm sorry if it hurts, okay? But it's to help you." Sheridan swallowed hard as Ben did just as he said. She screamed in pain when her leg was moved and she nearly sobbed when he lifted her completely out of the car and onto the stretcher that was waiting. She took a look at what had happened and immediately she began to scream louder than she ever had before.

The car was a mangled mess. The blue SUV that hit them was still connected with the driver's side of their car, and a pair of firefighters were attacking the roof of the car with the jaws of life to get to her mother and sister. Another crew tended to the SUV and tried to pull it away. She felt her stomach roll and she rolled over on the stretcher and wretched over the side. The front end of the car was mashed into the stability wall that held up the over pass they had been just about to drive under. Whatever had happened, because she couldn't remember much of what had happened after she screamed her mother's name, had been bad. Things looked very, very, bad. With every blink Sheridan relived the moment that SUV had struck them. She rolled back onto her back and let a combination of a sob and scream leave her lips as she scrunched her eyes closed tight.

Ben the paramedic pushed her away from the mangled mess as she continued to sob and the jaws of life really got going. She sobbed until her voice was hoarse as she was loaded into a waiting ambulance and Ben and a female paramedic who introduced herself as Stephanie began to check her over.

She screamed when they touched her leg.

"Potential break." Stephanie murmured as she continued to examine her leg. Ben passed her some boards as they began to stabilize it so she couldn't move it anymore. A loud commotion caught Sheridan's attention, and she sat up despite the pain just enough to see another stretcher go running by with her mother on it. Sheridan's eyes widened as she caught sight of someone pumping a bag over her mother's mouth. She couldn't make out what they were saying and a huge wave of fright took her over. Her mother's arm looked twisted and bent at the wrong angle, and blood covered the side of her face. She puffed out her cheeks, trying to hold down the feeling that was rising in her stomach. Before she could ask Ben or Stephanie what was happening, a firefighter appeared with her purse and her mother's s cell phone. Sheridan stuck her hand out for the phone and saw that her Dad's call was still active.

"Daddy?" She whispered quietly into the phone. She tensed as Stephanie examined the left side of her body, and felt around her ribs. She wanted to scream when she felt another pain shoot through her. She heard Stephanie murmur something about potentially broken ribs.

"I'm still here Sher. What's going on?" Her father's voice was hoarse.

"I'm in the ambulance and I saw them take Mom to another one. Autumn is..." panic gripped her when she saw another stretcher run past the ambulance she was in with Autumn. The paramedics seemed to be moving a lot faster, and one was actually riding on the top with Autumn, with a pump over her face as well. Sheridan blanched. As they raced past her, all she could see was red. There was blood all over the side of Autumn's face and some even matted in her hair. Her stomach rolled at the sight, especially when she saw her little legs decorated with splotches of blood from who knows where. She leaned over the side of the stretcher and Stephanie offered her a bucket just in time before she threw up all over the place.

"Sheridan? Sheridan?" Her father called. She could hear the panic in his voice.

"It's Autumn, she's ..." voice was almost silent. The sound of two ambulances screaming away with their sirens on broke the quiet. The doors to hers slammed shut and Ben called that they were pulling out.

"Where are they taking you Sheridan? I'll meet you there..." Sheridan looked at Ben and Stephanie.

"What hospital?" She asked quietly.

"Lima Memorial. For now." Ben said quietly. Sheridan tried to ignore the for now part.

Finn had never driven faster in his entire life. He felt the tears prickling in the corners of his eyes as he raced through the streets of Lima to get to Lima Memorial. His mind was filled with the sounds of Sheridan's screams and the screech he heard which he could only assume was the Jaws of Life. His heart raced in his chest as he came to a stop light. He stared at his phone that he had thrown on the seat when he had gotten in. He'd been shocked when he saw Rachel's name come across the screen, and he should have known that was a bad omen.) But then he answered the phone and when he heard Sheridan everything changed. The bottom of his world completely fell apart. The light turned green and he accelerated. He needed to get to the hospital. He needed to get to his girls. All of them.

He pulled into the hospital and found the first possible spot to park. He didn't look for a parking meter, he could get a $500 ticket for all he cared. He ran for the doors and arrived just in time to see them bringing in Rachel. He stopped dead in his tracks as the stretcher went racing passed him with his wife laying there, helpless. He caught a little glimpse of her, but what he saw made his stomach wrench. Blood stained her features while cuts and bruises disfigured her forehead, nose and jaw. He felt sick just looking at her, as they raced passed towards the examination rooms.

"DADDY!" He heard Sheridan's voice again and he whipped around as Rachel disappeared behind some swinging doors to find Sheridan being brought in. "DADDY!"

He ran to her side as she reached a hand out to him and he took it immediately trying not to cringe when he saw her bloody finger tips. "Daddy..."

"Shhhh Sheridan, it's alright. Let the doctors help you okay?" They stopped the stretcher for a moment and he leaned over and kissed her head, mindful of the large bump he saw forming on the right side of her head amidst blood. "I love you so much and I'll be with you as soon as I can." She nodded and made a face as the stretcher started moving again, taking the same path they had taken Rachel. She too disappeared behind the doors. He was almost knocked over by another stretcher and he only turned around enough to see Autumn being wheeled by him. He saw a small, bloody forehead that was covered with bruises from the impact and that she too appeared to be sleeping. He didn't miss the large rash across her neck, which he could only speculate was from the seatbelt. His knees gave out on him and he crumpled to the ground as she too vanished with paramedics calling stats and a million other things he didn't understand. This was bad. Very, very bad.

He managed to pull himself up into a chair and immediately bent his head to rest in his hands. He rubbed his face hard as the tears surfaced to the corners of his eyes as he sat there. In vain he willed himself not to think about what could be happening behind those closed doors. But the dagger that stabbed at his heart told him what he already knew. His 3 girls were badly broken and he could not bear the thought of their pain. Tears streamed down his face as the sobs flowed freely.

"Oh my God," he screamed. "Not this God, not this!" He grunted his frustrations into his hands.

* * *

He couldn't sit still. He stood up from the chair and began to pace the length of the room repeatedly. He walked the same path over and over, without much thought. He didn't even know why he was pacing. He just knew he could not be still. He walked the room, moving his hands from his pockets to his hair, to the back of his neck over and over. He continued to pace around the room trying not to let his mind wander too far.

The doors opened and Finn stopped dead in his tracks. His hands jammed in his pockets as his eyes widened a little bit as not one, but three doctors came out of the doors. His heart began to pound and blood rushed to his ears. He sucked in a breath just as one of the doctors spoke.  
"Berry-Hudson?" He heard. His palms began to sweat as he looked at the three men. He raised a shaky hand and hesitantly walked over to them.

"I'm...that's me..." He sighed. "They're...they're my family." He could hear the tremor in his voice and he didn't even try to hide it. The three doctors looked at him with a look that he couldn't quite place.

"I'm Dr. Hargot, I've been working on your daughter Sheridan." Finn nodded as the doctor held out his hand to shake. Finn took it hesitantly.

"How is she?" He raised his hand to his hair again, fidgeting nervously.

"She's stable." Dr. Hargot replied, looking at Finn. He felt his features relax a little for a moment. "She's stable and alert. We have been able to determine that she's broken her left leg. We are just waiting for the X-rays to come back so we can know the severity of the break." Finn nodded.

"She also has a large contusion on her head and many cuts and bruises from the impact." He nodded again.

Another one of the doctors spoke up. "I'm Dr. Peyton, I've been working on your daughter Autumn." There was a pause so Finn could shake his hand.

"How is she?" Visions of how she had looked when she was brought in flooded his mind immediately. He bit the inside of his cheek as he attempted to control his thoughts and feelings.

"At the moment she's in critical condition. She's unconscious which makes it difficult to determine the extent of her injuries. She has some lacerations, cuts and bruises to her face which are consistent with trauma from the accident. We're concerned about internal injuries and we're unsure if anything has been broken."

Finn nodded, swallowing hard. His poor Autumn bug. His heart seized at the thoughts of both his girls in pain. Then the third Doctor spoke up.

"I'm Dr. Coveno, I've been treating your wife, Rachel." Finn nodded and shook his hand as well. "It appears that both her arm and leg are badly broken. Like Sheridan, we're waiting for X-Rays to determine the next move. She is also unconscious, so it is difficult to determine the extent of her injuries at the moment. There is the possibility that she may have internal injuries, given that like Autumn she took the most impact during the accident." Finn nodded, taking in all the information the three men had given him. He ran his fingers through his hair and blew out a breath.

Dr. Peyton looked at Finn intently. "There is no reason not to be optimistic about your families recovery. Further examination will tell us more about the exact situations we're looking at with all three of them." Finn nodded.

"When can I see them..." He asked softly.

Dr. Hargot answered, "You can see Sheridan shortly, as she is stable and we're just waiting for X-rays to come back. It may be awhile yet before you can see Rachel or Autumn as trauma teams are still evaluating them" He nodded, pulling at some of his hair. "She's being set up in a room upstairs, a nurse will come and get you when she's settled." He nodded again.  
All three of the doctors gave him a sympathetic look before shaking his hand again.

He ran his fingers through his hair as the three doctors retreated back behind the doors that led them to the exam rooms. He let out a huge breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding. The words the three doctors had spoken rang through his mind, getting all jumbled together. Words like stable, internal injuries and broken bones all collided together. He felt his phone vibrate in his side pocket and he nearly jumped out of his skin at the feeling. He shoved his hand in his pocket to get the phone and his heart pounded when he saw it was his mother calling. He contemplated not answering it, but decided that he needed someone to talk to at the moment.

"Finn! Hi! I was just wondering if you were going to pick up!" His mothers cheerful voice filled the other end of the phone. "I was wondering if you guys wanted to come for a..."

"We can't Mom" He interrupted. It took his mother a beat to stop talking.

"Oh..." She paused, collecting her thoughts.

He closed his eyes tightly as the tears surfaced in his eyes again. He brought his hand up to his face and rubbed his eyes hard.

"Mom, I'm standing in the emergency room at Lima Memorial..." He stuttered, trying to get the words out. He had no idea how he was supposed to say this. He heard his mother draw in a breath. "Mom, there was an accident and...and things aren't good with the girls. All of them."

"Oh geez. Finn." She sighed into the phone.

"Can you..."

"Already out the door. See you soon." She hung up the phone before he could say anything else. He sunk into the closest chair and let his phone crash to the floor before leaning his head down into his hands again.

"Mr. Hudson?" His head shot up when he heard his name being called. A nurse in pink scrubs stood a few steps away from him. "I'm Julie, I'm here to take you to your daughter...Sheridan?" He nodded and stood up from his chair, collecting his phone from the floor. Julie gave him a weak smile and showed him to the elevator that would take them up a floor to where her room was. He balled his fists at his sides and blew out a breath in a lame attempt to put his emotions in check. The bell dinged and they arrived at the floor. He followed her down the hall to a room not far from the elevator.

"Here you are." She smiled. "She's resting comfortably, and I'm sure Dr. Hargot will be up in a bit to discuss her condition with you." He nodded, staring at the door that separated him from Sheridan. He took another deep breath as he reached for the door handle. "She's been given some pain medication so she might be a little groggy." She warned. He nodded and opened the door, going inside. His heart broke immediately when he saw Sheridan. A lump formed in his throat as he crossed the room to get to her bedside.

"Daddy..." She croaked out groggily. She raised her hand slowly and he took it before leaning over and placing a careful kiss to her forehead. Tears glistened in her eyes as she looked up at Finn.

"I'm right here Sheridan." He said softly.

"Daddy, I'm scared." She whispered softly.

"Everything's going to be okay." He tried to soothe, even if he wasn't entirely sure of the words himself. He squeezed her fingers gently as he looked at her, his heart breaking repeatedly at the sight of the bump on her forehead and the cuts and bruises that lined her face. They sat there in silence for a few moments. Finn tried desperately to swallow around the lump that had formed in his throat.

A knock at the door signaled another presence, and Dr. Hargot entered before Finn could call him in. He held an envelope in his hands.

"Your X-Rays are back." He said simply, going over to the frame on the wall and inserting them before turning the back light on. Finn squeezed Sheridan's hand as they both looked towards the Doctor.

"It appears that your leg is broken in two places, here and here..." He pointed out, indicating the significant breaks on the X-Rays. "The first break explains the pain you have been feeling in your hips" He paused.

"So what does that mean?" Finn asked quietly. _Please don't say surgery, please don't say surgery_. He quietly prayed.

"Unfortunately the breaks are significant enough that there is some concern about them healing properly with just a cast. I'd like to send her up to surgery and place some screws to ensure they heal properly." Dr. Hargot supplied.

Finn's heart dropped and he felt Sheridan's hand go cold in his own. He squeezed it, to try and give her the support she needed.

"And that's for the best?" Dr. Hargot nodded. He tried hard to think of other questions he should ask. He heard Sheridan whimpering beside him and he turned to look at her. Her lip was trembling and tears were about to spill out of her eyes. He moved closer to her and held her against his chest.

"What about if she hits another growth spurt? She's only 15..."

Dr. Hargot nodded at the question. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, the important thing here is to get Sheridan on the road to recovery quickly so she can begin healing." Finn nodded as he leaned over and kissed her head. She whimpered against his chest as she clung to his t-shirt.

"When would the operation be?" He asked softly.

"We can do it as soon as this evening. We just need to get you prepped" Dr. Hargot added frankly, looking directly at Sheridan. Finn nodded.

He knew she needed it. He gave his verbal approval. "Okay." He heard Sheridan whimper again and he sighed.

"A nurse will be by to prep her shortly."

They both nodded again and Dr. Hargot turned to leave the room once again. When he was gone, Sheridan sobbed loudly as she clutched Finn's shirt in her hand.

"Daddy, I don't want surgery..." She cried into his chest. Finn pulled her as close to him as he could without hurting her and hugged her tightly.

"Baby, it's going to help you get better..." She sobbed more into his chest as he held her. He just rubbed her back and tried to offer as much comfort as he could. "It's going to be fine Sher, you'll see..." He kissed her head a few times trying to offer her any and all support he could.

When her sobs subsided, she laid back on the bed and rubbed at her eyes before turning to look at him.

"Daddy..." She whimpered quietly as she pushed her hair back from her face. She winced when she brushed the bump on her head. "Daddy, have you seen Mommy?" Finn's felt his heart sink. "Daddy? Where's Mommy?"

"Sher...Your Mom is being looked after by another doctor..."

"Is she okay? Did you see her?" Her voice went up an octave as she tried to sit up straighter. She winced as the sudden movement caused pain to radiate throughout her body. "Dad? Did you see Mom?"

"Sheridan, they're taking care of her just like they're taking care of you. I'm sure we'll find out more about her soon. Same with Autumn."

Sheridan gasped. "Oh God, Autumn. I was such a bitch to her today...she's all right, right Dad? Did you see her?" Finn looked down at his hands.

"Dad, tell me she's okay..." Her voice broke.

"I saw her when she first came in Sher. I'm sure we'll hear something soon..." He trailed off, not looking up. "They're working on her and we'll hear something soon." He didn't know who he was trying to reassure more, Sheridan or himself.

A nurse arrived a little while later to help prep Sheridan for surgery. Finn held her hand as the nurse inserted an IV into her hand, that would soon lull her into a deep sleep. Finn sat beside her as her eyelids dropped, and he ran his fingers through her hair in a soothing motion.

"I love you Sheridan." He whispered as he kissed her cheek. "I'll see you when you wake up." He added as he watched her eyes droop until she was finally asleep. Two orderlies came in and took the breaks off of her bed to transport her to the OR. "I love you Sheridan." He repeated.

He rode the elevator up a floor with them and down a hallway until he couldn't anymore. He jammed his hands in his pockets and hung his head forward, his shoulders slumping as the doors closed. A hand on his arm caused him to tense. He turned towards the hand and crumbled when he saw his mother standing just a step behind him.

"Oh Mom." He breathed. She just looked at him and opened her arms. He immediately allowed her to wrap her arms around him just as the tears surfaced in his eyes again. He didn't bother to stop them from flowing down his cheeks.

"Shhhh it's going to be okay." She whispered as he leaned his head onto her shoulder. "Everything is going to be okay."

He lifted his head from her shoulder, wiping at his eyes and followed her to the waiting area. He collapsed into the first chair he came across and blew out a breath, leaning his head back against the wall. He closed his eyes tight and tried to breathe deeply. When he opened them and dropped his head a little, his mother took his hand.

"How are the girls?" She asked softly.

"Sheridan's in surgery." He breathed, the words slipping from his lips. "She...her leg is broken in two places so they're putting in bolts or whatever to put it back in place." He ran his fingers through his hair as his mind raced. "I...I saw Autumn as they brought her in and all I've been told is that she's in critical condition and they don't know how badly broken she is." A sob rose in his throat and he tried in vain to bite it back. "She...she's unconscious because she took most of the force and..." His voice broke off as the tears reappeared and cascaded down his cheeks. "Mom I don't know if she's going to be okay..." He leaned his head down in his hands as the sobs took over his body. Carole tried her best to soothe him, placing a hand on his back as they sat there.

"Hopefully we'll hear something soon." She murmured against his head. He heaved a big sigh as he attempted to get his emotions under control.

"Rachel too." He sighed, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand. "They said she's stable but she's unconscious too. They're worried about internal injuries with her..." He shook his head as if that would make this whole situation better. "Why them Mom? Why MY family? Why MY girls?"

Carole bit her lip as she looked at her son. She didn't have the answer. She felt the pain in her heart as she thought about Sheridan, Autumn and Rachel. She just didn't know what she could say to make any of it better.

"I know Finn, I know." She said softly.

Silence enveloped the small waiting room as both Carole and Finn became wrapped in their own thoughts. Over and over he prayed that everything would turn out alright. Over and over he prayed that Sheridan would come out of surgery no worse for wear, and that Rachel and Autumn would wake up. He prayed things would be okay, that their injuries wouldn't be too severe and...

"Mr. Hudson?" His head shot up again as a nurse stood in the doorway. He jumped to his feet and was over to her before he could even comprehend what was happening.

"Yes? That's me...how's..."

"Dr. Coveno needs to see you." The nurse said quietly, "It's about your wife, Rachel..."

* * *

_**Thoughts?  
I'm sorry again. **_


	17. I'm Sinking Inside Pt 2

**A/N: Sorry this took so long! Been a crazzzzzzzzy week with very little free time! Plus I seemed to continually hit writer's block and issues with this chapter! But alas, here it is!**

As always, I own Sheridan & Autumn, the plot and any original characters that appear. Anyone associated with gLee, or mentions of storylines are strictly Ryan Murphy & Fox's.

On with the show! 

* * *

**Chapter 17: August 2027 **

Finn's heart felt like it was going a mile a minute. He followed the nurse down the corridor and down a flight of stairs until they found Dr. Coveno standing outside of an exam room.

"Mr. Hudson. We need to talk about Rachel." He said directly, skipping formalities and getting to the point immediately.

Finn felt like his heart began to speed up even faster, if that was even possible. Rachel...his Rachel. What could be wrong with his Rachel?

"Her X-Rays have come back and the results Mr. Hudson aren't good." He gestured for him to follow him down the hallway and into a small room where some X-Rays were displayed on a small lit up screen. "This is her left arm. It's broken here, along her ulna bone. It's a clean break which will heal with little complication using a cast, which we've already placed on her arm." Finn nodded. He sensed a but was coming. Dr. Coveno directed his attention to another X-Ray. "This is one of Rachel's more complicated injuries. Does your wife sit close to the steering wheel?" Finn could barely bring himself to nod. Damn her short legs. "Her pelvis has been broken here, and here...as well as her upper left thigh here and here" He pointed out. Finn felt dizzy as the injuries were explained. He vaguely heard words like bleeding, pins, shock... "Mr. Hudson, we need to operate on your wife immediately to get the bleeding under control and to determine the full extent of her injuries..."

"Yes. God, yes...help my wife please" He whimpered, his voice broken. Dr. Coveno nodded. "She'll...she's still unconscious, right? You'll make sure she..."

"She won't feel a thing Mr. Hudson. I'll be sure of it." He turned to a nurse who had joined them, instructing her to go have Rachel prepped. Finn bit his lip as he watched the nurse all but run out of the room.

"I should also note that we received her CT scans back." He looked at the Doctor, imploring him with his eyes to go on. "It revealed internal bleeding around the break identified in her thigh and around her pelvis. It revealed no bleeding around her brain, so after the operation she should have no problems coming to afterwards. It'll all be up to her..."

Finn nodded, swallowing hard. Dr. Coveno shook his hand and turned to leave the room.

"Dr. Coveno?" He called as the Doctor had begun to retreat. The older man turned to look at him.

"Can I..." He ran his hands through his hair. "Can I see her, before..."

Dr. Coveno looked at Finn with an intent expression on his face. "Of course Mr. Hudson."

Finn blew out a breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding. The doctor gestured for him to follow him out of the room and led the way towards the room Rachel was in.

"I'll give you a couple minutes before the orderlies come in to take her." Finn nodded. Dr. Coveno opened the door and gestured for Finn to go in.  
He walked slowly, bracing himself for what he would be met with. His heart pounded in his ears as he approached the bed, his heart sinking to the pit of his stomach as Rachel came into his view.

He drew his bottom lip between his teeth as he came to stand beside Rachel's beside. He ran his fingers gently over the knuckles of her good hand while using his other hand to brush her hair back from her forehead. Her skin was beaten, bruised and cut mostly on her forehead, nose and chin. Ugly, fresh bruises marred her skin while a tube ran into her nose, forcing oxygen into her to help make sure she was breathing fine. Her left arm rested across her stomach wrapped in a fresh plaster cast, while her left leg was elevated in a sling at the end of her bed - much like Sheridan's had been. They'd cleaned her face a little bit of the blood he had seen there earlier but he looked so distinctly not like his Rachel while still being so familiar at the same time.

"Oh Rachel..." He said softly. "I need you to hold on, okay? Just please, hold on..." He kissed her cheek softly on the only spot that wasn't bruised or cut, just as the orderlies came into the room to take her up to the operating room. He kissed her cheek softly again before being backed into the wall as they took the breaks off her bed and wheeled her quickly out of the room.

"God please." He whispered as he watched them all but run for the elevator to get her into surgery. "I can't lose her. We need more time. Please don't take her. Please". His mind raced with silent prayers to every deity he knew, praying for the recovery of Rachel and his girls.

He slowly made his way towards the elevator they had just taken Rachel up when he heard his name being called again. The distinct urgency in the voice made Finn stop and turn around just as he saw Dr. Peyton coming towards him.

"Mr. Hudson," Dr. Peyton's voice rang out, urgent. "I'm glad I've found you. It's Autumn."

Finn felt his blood run cold. He looked at the Dr. and waited for him to say something.

"Would you come with me please?" Finn could only nod. His blood pumped through his ears as he followed the doctor down to what he could only assume was his office.

He followed Dr. Peyton into the small room and closed the door behind them. He gestured for Finn to take a seat.

"How's my daughter?" Finn asked softly. He balled his fists in his lap, playing with his fingers in nervousness. He didn't want small talk, Dr. Peyton sounded urgent and he wanted to cut to the chase.

"Mr. Hudson. As you're aware, because of her position in the accident, Autumn sustained very serious injuries much like I'm to understand your wife did as well." Finn nodded. "Through extensive testing we've determined that Autumn has sustained a linear closed fracture to her skull." He said with an air of finality.

Finn's eyes bugged a little bit. What did that mean?

"Excuse me?" He squeaked out. Dr. Peyton showed him on the portable X-Ray machine he had.

"Here's the X-Ray we took when she first came in." He held it up. He pointed to a grey line toward the back of the left side of her skull, just above her ear. "Here is where we're assuming she hit the window during the accident. The fracture is clean, meaning it's split pretty easily and has yet to puncture any of her scalp or the inside of her brain, which is good news. Though we have determined there to be a little bit of swelling which is consistent with the trauma she's experienced."

Finn leaned his head into his hands that were resting on his knees. He tried to hold back the sob that was trying to erupt from the very depths of his soul. Her skull was broken? He felt like he was going to throw up.

"So what now..." He questioned once he was able to gather his thoughts. His heart was pounding as thoughts of his little girl, bruised and broken, laying somewhere alone...and his heart hurt. He felt his stomach rolling.

"She's being monitored closely right now, as we're very concerned with the swelling that is occurring in her brain. She's unconscious, which is understandable given the trauma her body has withstood."

"When will she wake up?" He felt like he knew the answer to this question.

Dr. Peyton looked at him sympathetically. "With brain injuries Mr. Hudson, there is no timeline. We're monitoring her condition closely in the ICU and..."

"Will she be okay?" He asked quickly, cutting off the Dr.

"Time will tell Mr. Hudson." It was not the answer he wanted. This isn't what he wanted. He needed his Autumn bug to be okay. He needed all of them to be okay.

They were quiet for a moment as the words sunk in. ICU, brain injuries, swelling. All of them made his head spin. He took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair.

"What about visitors...can I see her?" He asked. He braced himself for the answer he was dreading. He needed to see her. He needed to see with his own eyes that she was still here, still even remotely okay. She was probably so scared, if she could even feel scared. He knew his Autumn bug didn't like to be alone.

Dr. Peyton nodded. "Only family members can visit in the ICU. I'll have a nurse show you to the ICU..."

Finn shook the doctors hand and stood up, waiting for a nurse to come and show him the way. He ran his hands through his hair as he waited, pulling on the longer strands. This wasn't supposed to be happening.

The nurse arrived and smiled sadly at him. Finn moved to follow her out of the office and down the hall towards the ICU. They arrived, and Finn took a deep breath as they walked into the ICU. The nurse showed him where Autumn was laying in her own room. If he wasn't already shattered, he was sure the sight in front of him would have very well killed him. Autumn was laid on a bed, her face bruised and battered but clear of the blood he had seen on her when she came in. She looked like she was sleeping, and Finn would have believed that if it wasn't for the tubes that were going into her nose, the IV in her hand and the steady beep of the machines that were helping her breathe, helping her live as her body tried to fight what had happened to her. Her hair was messy on the pillow, obviously it had been mused while the doctors had examined her. Her little face, especially her forehead, was littered with bruises and cuts. There was even a slight hint of bruises under her eyes. Her little chest rose and fell with each assisted breath she took.

"Oh Autumn..." He gently touched her hand that was resting on her side. He kissed her little hand, tearing when he saw that her little nails were painted a bubble gum pink colour, except for one where it had obviously been removed in an attempt to keep an eye on her oxygen level through her nail bed. He sat close to her, holding her hand and just looking at her. He felt a massive amount of guilt surge through his bones as he sat there, looking at her helpless little form. "Autumn, I'm so sorry baby. I'm so sorry Autumn bug. Daddy's here. I'm here and I'm not leaving your side. Unless it's to go check on Mommy or Sheridan. But I'll always come back Autumn. I'll always come back..." He leaned over and gently kissed her cheek. He pulled back from her face, and part of him really wanted and hoped that when he would look up her would see her beautiful eyes. His heart sank when she still laid there, unmoving, eyes closed and breathing even. "Daddy loves you so much Autumn. Fight hard baby. I need you to get through this..." He swallowed thickly again. "We need you to get better baby. We need you to come back to us."

He didn't know how long he sat with her, but he felt himself dozing as he leaned back in the chair he was sitting on. His eyes drifted closed, but he didn't allow himself to fall asleep as he held her little hand in his. He shook his head as he sat there before standing up. He looked at his watch and his eyes bugged when he saw that it was well passed dinner time, late evening. He blinked hard for a few seconds, rubbing his eyes furiously before leaning over her head. He ran his fingers through her hair for a second before speaking to her softly.

"I'm going to go check on Mommy and Sheridan baby. I'll be back." He kissed her head before walking out of her room. He stopped at the nurses' station where a friendly nurse smiled at him.

He scratched at his head as he looked at her. "I...I have family that was in surgery...and I'm just going to check on them...but I'll be back..."  
She smiled sympathetically. "That's fine Mr. Hudson. We'll page you if we need to find you..." He nodded, appreciative of what she was saying.

He walked out of the ICU, feeling the weight of each step he took as he walked away from Autumn. His heart felt heavy and his throat tight. He tried to walk quickly towards the elevator, but his feet were as heavy as his heart. He jammed the button a few times as he waited for the bell to ding. He rubbed his face hard just as the sounds of the elevator coming to a stop were heard. He got in and immediately pressed the button for the next level up just as the doors closed. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes briefly for a moment. He had his little girl in the ICU and both his wife and older daughter in surgery. Maybe even out of surgery by now. How had this day turned out like this? How had his life turned out like this? He squeezed his eyes closed just as the elevator bell dinged again. He walked slowly off the elevator and headed towards the waiting room where he had left his mother. What he didn't expect was to see his step-father and both Hiram and Leroy Berry sitting next to her. He assumed his mother had called the Berry's, as he hadn't had the wherewithal to make that phone call. He tensed when he saw them all sitting in the waiting room. His mother jumped to her feet when he came into her view.

"Finn!" Carole jumped up from her seat. She ran to him, and placed her hands on his shoulders as he closed his eyes, tears finally surfacing to her eyes. He felt her wrap her arms around him as he leaned his head down on her shoulder.

"What happened? How's Rachel?" She asked as she pulled away. Hiram and Leroy perked up a little, looking at him. Carole brushed the tears from under his eyes.

"She's...you guys didn't see her?" He asked, looking at them. The four older adults shook their heads. "They...they've taken her into surgery. She has...she broke her pelvis in two places and her thigh and...she's unconscious and oh God..." He hunched over, his hands grasping her knees as he bent over as his stomach rolled. "They...they're operating to try and control some bleeding in her leg and to pin her back together..." He heaved, the words tumbling out in a mess. "Her arm is broken...my...Rachel...is broken..."

He felt his mom's hand on his back, rubbing comforting circles. He sobbed, ugly gut wrenching sobs that he wasn't sure where they were coming from. "And Autumn...she...she...skull...ICU...swelling..." He panted out as the sobs rocked his body. "She's...they don't know when she'll wake up either. They said it's all up to Rachel but they don't know for Autumn...She's so tiny and helpless...my poor baby..." He heaved significantly, his whole body shuddering. "Oh God, Sheridan...have they said anything about Sheridan?"

His mother shook her head. "Come sit..."

Finn shook his head over and over. "I have to see about them...how long was I down there? Why is it so late?" He rubbed at his eyes hard, everything felt blurry and hazy and rushed.

"You weren't gone that long Finn...they haven't said anything about Sheridan or Rachel either..." His mother tried to soothe.

He tore at the hair on his head for a moment as he leaned it down into his arms. He felt so conflicted about what to do, where to stay, where to wait.  
What was he supposed to do in this situation? He felt like this was all his fault. Like if he had just...done something, anything different this wouldn't have happened. He was supposed to protect them for fuck's sake! He had let everyone down. Every single person that he loved, he'd let them down. Especially the three people he was supposed to protect and love the most and above all else.

"I need to see how they are...I'm going to see if I can find anything out from the nurse..." He stood up on shaky legs. The heaviness he had felt before was gone, instead came a wave of instability, the world was shaky around him as he walked out of the small waiting room and towards the nurses' station.

He waited at the counter for a moment before the nurse sitting there acknowledged him.

"How can I help you?" She asked softly.

"My wife and daughter are both in surgery...I was wondering if there's been any updates..."

"Names?"

"What?" He narrowed his eyes a moment, not grasping what she was asking. .

"What are their names? Your wife and your daughter..."

"Oh. Sorry. Rachel Berry-Hudson and Sheridan Berry-Hudson." He watched her type something on the computer in front of her quickly before looking up at him. "Rachel is still in progress, but it looks like the doctor should be out shortly to talk to you about Sheridan. She should be moved to recovery soon..."

Finn nodded, thanked the nurse before walking back to the waiting room where the family was waiting. He ran his hands through his hair as he came to a stop in front of them.

"Rachel's still in surgery but the doctor should be out any time now to talk about Sheridan..." He dragged his hands through his hair again. He couldn't sit down again. He had this feeling he needed to get back down to see Autumn, but if the doctor was coming out shortly...he wanted to hear that his little girl was okay. He started to pace the small waiting room as he could feel the eyes of all of their parents on his back. He couldn't turn to look at them, he couldn't take their pitying and worried glances. He just couldn't take any of this.

He was just starting another lap when the door swung open and Dr. Hargot walked out, still dressed in his scrubs.

"Mr Hudson?" He whipped around to face the doctor, just as all four of the parents stood up as well.

"How is she?" He asked quickly, stepping closer to the doctor. All of the parents flanked his sides. "How's Sheridan?"

"She's in recovery. She's still under the anesthetic but that should be wearing off within the next hour or two. The surgery went well, we repaired the breaks with screws as discussed when we last spoke." Dr Hargot smiled at the family that surrounded him. "Now, it's all up to her body to heal and then we can discuss further treatment. She's going to need physiotherapy to regain the strength in her leg but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Finn nodded. He held out his hand to shake. Dr. Hargot shook all of their hands before walking off.

Finn felt his shoulders slump in relief. Sheridan had made it out of surgery okay, well as okay as she could be. He shuddered at the thought of her having to undergo physiotherapy. His heart sunk as he thought about how difficult that was going to be. But he tried not to think about it now. They would deal with it when the time came. And they'd get through it. They'd get through all of this together. It's what Hudson's did.

"She's okay" He blew out a breath as he looked at his mother who was still standing beside him. "Sheridan's going to be fine." She nodded as she rubbed his back in comforting circles. "Now just...just Rachel and Autumn." He slumped over in the first chair he found and allowed his head to fall to his hands again. He rubbed his face over and over, as if it would make the nightmare he was in dissipate. If only it was that easy.

"Finn, why don't you go take a break, go get something to eat or go see Autumn again. We'll come find you when Rachel's out of surgery and..." Hiram asked softly.

"I...I ..." He looked between all four parents, his gaze staying on his mothers and Burt's the longest. He shook his head. "I can't leave...I need to be here...or there...or with Sheridan or..." He pulled at his hair. He was sure by the end of this he would be bald. He didn't care.

Burt stood up and approached him, clapping him on the back. "Why don't we go for a walk? Maybe go find the cafeteria and complain about how bad the food is? When was the last time you ate, Finn?"

He looked at his stepfather. He couldn't remember when he had eaten. Time had stopped the moment his phone rang that afternoon. Everything had happened in a blur.

"Go get a coffee Finn, we'll wait here to hear about Rachel..." Hiram gestured to Leroy, himself and Carole. "You and Burt can go for a walk, maybe go check in on Autumn? One of us can go with Sheridan when she's out of recovery until you get back..."

Finn glanced between all of them. Coffee did sound good. Maybe even a muffin? Or something edible at least.

"Alright. I...just take care of them please" All three adults nodded as Burt took his elbow and led him out of the small waiting room.

He'd needed the break. He walked down to the cafeteria with Burt, noticing through the windows that the sun had set and darkness had set in. He tried to find something appealing to eat, settling on a wrap made with chicken, a bag of Doritos and a black coffee. Dinner of champions. Could he even call it dinner?

His stepfather didn't say much as they sat at the table together, him sipping a bottle of water and munching on a granola bar that looked like something Rachel would enjoy. His heart sank when he thought her name, which led to his mind immediately going into overdrive...thinking about what was going on upstairs.

"They're going to be okay, you know" Burt said softly, taking a sip of his water.

"I hope so."

"They will." Burt affirmed. "You and Rachel have raised some strong fighters in those girls." He said simply. "And the bottom line is that you and Rachel aren't finished yet. So they have to be okay."

Finn leaned back in his chair as he swallowed the last of his wrap and took in what his stepfather had said.

"You really think that?"

Burt just nodded.

When they finished their dinner, they rode the elevator up to the ICU wherethey peaked in on Autumn, whose nurse had revealed there had been no change in her condition. Finn sighed, brushing her bangs back and pressing a kiss to her forehead as Burt looked on. They left her after spending some time with her before making their way up to the level where the operating room was. They were barely off the elevator before Hiram met them.

"The doctor's looking for you. He wants to talk about Rachel." Finn's heart immediately sank. His face must have showed it, because Hiram reached over to touch his arm. "Come on."

Finn allowed Hiram to lead him back to the waiting room, where Dr. Coveno was standing in the center of the small group he called his family.

"Mr. Hudson." He offered him a small smile as he stood there. Finn sped up his walk to stand in front of the doctor. "Your wife is out of surgery and being moved into recovery. The repair of her pelvis went well, as did the repair to her leg. We were able to control and stop the bleeding in her leg. The anesthetic should be wearing off soon and it'll be all up to her in terms of coming to." Finn nodded before shaking the doctors hand.

"Thank you." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"No problem Mr. Hudson. A nurse will let you know when she's being moved to her room." Finn nodded again before Dr. Coveno walked away.

He blew out a breath. Rachel was okay. She'd pulled through the surgery and she was going to be okay. Maybe it all would be okay.

It was an hour later when Sheridan finally began to come around and was moved back to her room. Finn left Hiram and Leroy up in the waiting room while he went down to be with Sheridan. His parents went off to sit with Autumn, so she wasn't alone.

He opened her door slowly and smiled when he saw Sheridan laying on the bed, her leg still up in the sling but a bright white plaster cast around most of her leg. He walked slowly into her room, coming to stand beside her bed. It was only then that he noticed her eyes were slightly open.

"Daddy?" She croaked out.

"Hey Sheridan" He smiled softly at her. He leaned over to place a soft kiss on her cheek.

"Is the surgery over?" He nodded slightly and gestured to her casted leg.

"It's all finished baby. Now you just need to get better." He whispered softly. She sighed slightly, which turned into a yawn. "It's okay if you're tired baby, you can sleep if you want to."

"Will you be here?" She asked before yawning again.

"I will. But if I'm not it's because I'm with Mom or Autumn. Nana and Poppy are here, and so are Grandpa and Granddad. If I'm not here, they will be."

"How's Mom?" She asked softly. She yawned again.

"She's okay. She's just coming out of her own surgery..."

"She had to have surgery too?" He heard the whimper and sadness in her voice.

He nodded. "She broke her leg too. But she's okay..." He didn't want to load her with too much. She blinked slowly. "Sleep baby."

"What about Autumn?" She asked quietly, as her voice started to fade off. "How's Autumn?"

"She's...she's in rough shape baby. But she'll pull through because she's a Hudson..."

Sheridan smiled slightly. "And that's what Hudson's do." He nodded as her eyes finally closed and succumbed.

"I love you Sheridan." He whispered.

He crept out of her room once she was fully asleep. He made sure to close the blinds and left the light on in the bathroom that was adjacent to her room, just so she didn't wake up in the dark. He blinked ferociously against the bright light and just leaned his head against the wall, taking a moment to himself. He took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, just taking a to be thankful that one of his girls was on the mend. He decided at the moment to head outside and get some fresh air while Sheridan slept and his other girls were being taken care of. He was just moving to the elevator when it dinged, and Hiram stepped out.

"Finn, I was just coming to find you. Rachel's been moved to the ICU and out of recovery."

Finn's eyes widened as he looked at his father-in-law. "Really?"

Hiram nodded. "I was just coming to trade places with you. The doctor said it's all up to her now..."

"Sheridan's sleeping." He shook his head. "I need to see Rachel."

Finn could barely keep the pace with Hiram as they made their way up to the ICU. He threw open the door to her room and his heart stopped. Large brown eyes stared back at him and blinked a few times.

"Rachel" He sighed as he flew to her bedside. She turned her head to look at him, whimpering in response. He immediately let his hand rise and graze her cheek as he looked down at her. His heart felt like it was going to explode from the relief he felt. "Oh Rachel."

* * *

_**Thoughts? **_


	18. I'm Sinking Inside Pt 3

**Copyright same as always. All medical mistakes are mine. Enjoy! **

* * *

**Chapter 18: August 2027**

Rachel blinked rapidly as the sun began to seep through the flimsy blinds in her room. She groaned as she tried to move her muscles, every part of her body screaming from the ache. She flinched when she attempted to move her left leg even just a little bit, the nerves and bones igniting in pain. Clearly it was time for more pain medication. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to breathe through the pain she was experiencing, puffing her cheeks in and out several times before opening her eyes again. She'd never felt a pain like this, not even childbirth had hurt this bad.  
"Good Morning Rachel." A bright-eyed nurse bustled into the room after a soft knock. Rachel groaned in response to her cheerfulness.

It had been three days. Three days and the aches and pains in her body were really starting to set in. The reality of what had happened to her and the girls was becoming even more real as time passed. They had had an accident. A pretty horrifying accident from her recollection. Memories of Sheridan screaming for her to watch out, memories of the sound of metal crunching metal...memories of the searing pain she had felt and then total darkness constantly played on a loop through her mind. She had felt complete and utter darkness. She didn't remember much beyond that. They had said she had been out for less than 8 hours, never really slipping further into the abyss. But she had felt like it had been days instead of mere hours. **  
**  
Sheridan had come to see her as her room was right next door once she was allowed to the day after the accident. She'd cried when she'd taken a look at her little girl at first, leg casted, which had immediately set Sheridan off. What Rachel would have done to have just been able to hug her and hold her at that moment. She'd watched from her bed as Finn had comforted Sheridan, doting on her before turning to her and giving her a comforting hug as well. She was taken aback at first when he'd wrapped his arms around her, but accepted nonetheless. She saw the relief on his face when she'd first opened her eyes in the ICU and it was in that one look that she was sure he still cared. Sheridan filled in the blanks of what she could remember about the accident, telling her what she could about her own injuries, Finn filling in the blanks with specifics about the surgery she had underwent, Rachel's as well.

And then she'd heard about Autumn. God, Autumn. Finn had been gentle when he'd told her, held her hand when he filled in her in on the situation with their little girl who was busy literally fighting for her life. She'd cried the second he said her skull was cracked and her brain swelling, letting the tears escape her eyes at a rapid rate. He'd squeezed her hand as his own tears surfaced and trickled. The outlook seemed somewhat uncertain but he'd assured her that everyone, doctors included, were to be optimistic until told otherwise. She was a Hudson, and she'd survive. She'd yet to see Autumn. Dr. Coveno had suggested that she wait a few days before making the trip up to the ICU, as her injuries in her pelvis needed a few days to begin healing before any long range movement. It was killing her to not see her or be with her but it also comforted her to know that Finn and their parents had all spent time with her and held her hand.

The nurse moved around the bed, checking her over and moving her as gently and slightly as possible. Rachel groaned at the pain.  
"Time for some more medication?" The nurse inquired as she looked at Rachel. She could barely nod her head enough as the pain took over. The nurse hurriedly moved over to the IV stand and set about fixing the drip that contained Rachel's relief. "There. That should help you out soon enough." Rachel nodded. "Now, there's a pretty good looking hunk standing between these two doors. Should I let him in?" Rachel looked at the nurse. She bit her lip for a moment and nodded her head.

"That's my husband."

The nurses mouth piqued into a smile. "Lucky girl." She finished up what she was doing before moving to leave the room. She heard soft voices in the hallway as she had left the door open, and moments later Finn appeared, a to go bag and a tray with two bottles of juice in his hand.

"Hi." He said softly, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably.

"Hey." She whispered.

"I brought you breakfast." He said softly. "I know you hate hospital food, and the doctor said it was okay as long as it wasn't anything too heavy because of your medication..."

She nodded slightly, biting her lip as she looked at Finn. He shuffled closer to the bed and pulled a wrapped bagel out of the bag. He placed it on the little table that was beside her before sitting down in the chair. He unwrapped it carefully before handing her half of it. She accepted it slowly, wincing a little bit when she lifted her arm.

"You okay?"

"Do I look like I'm okay?' She snapped. She immediately bit her lip. "Sorry."

Finn waved his hand before uncapping the juice and sticking in a straw before unwrapping his own bagel.

"Did you go and see Autumn?" She asked softly as she watched him take a bite of his bagel. He looked up at her as he swallowed. He nodded.

"I went there first." He took a sip of his own juice for a moment. "The nurse said she'd had a good night, hadn't gotten worse but hadn't..."

"...improved." She added quietly. She took a bite of her bagel and looked down at her lap. He looked at her for a moment before turning to his own breakfast.

"Sheridan was still sleeping when I dropped her breakfast off." Rachel only nodded.

They sat in silence, eating their breakfast together for the first time in months. Rachel's mind wandered as she chewed on the bagel. She reached for the juice that Finn had sat on the table, her finger tips just missing the bottle. Finn sat up quickly and passed the bottle to her quickly after watching her wince from the strain. The sudden movement was a little too much for her tired, achy muscles.

"Thanks." She said softly.

"No problem." He tried to offer her a small smile before settling back in his chair to finish his breakfast. Silence enveloped them once again, and it almost seemed...normal. Only there was nothing normal about their circumstances in the least. Rachel's bedside phone jangled from the little table, interrupting their moment.

"Can you pass me the phone?" She asked quietly. Finn immediately reached for the receiver and passed it to her. "Hello?" Her face broke into a little smile when she heard Sheridan's voice on the other end. "Yes, he's here. Of course. Love you too baby." She hung up the phone and passed it back to him. He placed it on the table again. "That was Sheridan. She's awake and was wondering if you'd come by yet."

Finn nodded.

"She'd like you to come see her..." She trailed off. He nodded again and looked at her. She watched his expression change, and her message was understood. She was becoming uncomfortable with the silences they were experiencing. She also didn't want her little girl to be alone, and she was sure her parents would be by soon. They'd promised as much when they'd visited last night.

"I should go see her then." He cleared his throat and took the last sip of his juice before rising. She nodded. "I'll be next door. Call me if you need anything or if Dr. Peyton..." She nodded again, silencing him. He stared at her for a moment before leaving the room.

She let out a breath that she hadn't realized she had been holding. When the door to her room closed, she sunk back into the pillow on her bed and closed her eyes tightly as tears came to the corners of her eyes. The pain medication the nurse had administered was starting to kick in, but the pain she was currently feeling was more emotional. When she looked at him, the memories of the last few months flooded her mind. Why was he here? Why was he being so nice to her? Or better yet, why did he care? She clenched her eyes shut tightly and tried to reel in her emotions but it was no use. The tears trailed down her cheeks as she leaned back. Why her? Why them? Just...why?

A knock at the door broke her out of her thoughts, and before she could say anything her Daddy poked his head in the door.

"Hey there sweetie." He smiled when he stepped into the room.

"Hi Daddy." She sniffled a little bit and sat up slowly in her bed, trying not to make any sudden movements. He walked over to the side of her bed and leaned down to give her a gentle hug before pulling away.

"How're you feeling today sweetie?" He asked softly, looking down at her with a soft look on his face.

She shrugged. "I'm better now that the pain medication has kicked in. Everything hurts, and if it doesn't hurt, it aches." She sighed as she leaned back on the bed. She saw her Daddy bite his lip but he didn't say anything.

"Where's Papa?" She asked softly after a few minutes. Silence with her Daddy was nothing like silence with Finn. She didn't feel...put out by it.

"He'll be up in a few minutes. He had to make a quick work related phone call before he came up." She nodded softly.

"Have you heard from the doctor at all?'

She shook her head slightly. "I'm supposed to see him this afternoon I think. I can't imagine there's a lot to say. I mean...look at me, I'm all casted...there's not much..."

Hiram gave her a pitying glance. His heart did break for her. "I'm sure he'll want to talk about physical therapy, and things to get you back on your feet. Have you talked to work?"

Rachel groaned. "Finn said he called the office and told them what happened..."

"Finn did?'

She nodded, avoiding her father's stare. "He said he did...You just missed him before you walked in. He brought me breakfast." She held up the remaining piece of her bagel and didn't miss the look on her father's face. "What?"

"Nothing. I just think it's odd that after all this..."

"Daddy, he's still my husband. And I still care about him. Obviously he still cares about me too..."

"I know that Rachel. I just...be careful."

"Daddy, I'm not running right back to him." She sighed. "I haven't...I just...it's nice to be cared for, alright? I..." She trailed off. Hiram gestured for her to continue. "I miss him."

Before Hiram could say anything else, a knock came at the door rather forcefully. Hiram stood to his feet to answer it, and found Dr. Peyton on the other side. Rachel sat up straighter when the doctor who had been taking care of Autumn came into the room.

"Good morning Mrs. Hudson." He declared. He held a stack of papers in his hand, and the look on his face was stern. Rachel took a deep breath. "Is Mr. Hudson around?" Rachel's jaw dropped a little at the doctors forward approach. She cleared her throat before talking.

"He's next door with our older daughter..."

"We need to talk about Autumn. I think it would be a good idea if he was here."

Hiram immediately went for the door. "I'll go get him and stay with Sheridan..." Rachel nodded as her father retreated out of the room. It was only seconds later when Finn bustled through the door, skidding to a stop when he saw Dr. Peyton.

"Good morning Mr. Hudson." He greeted him much in the same fashion as he had Rachel. Finn immediately sat down in the chair he had used this morning. "We need to discuss your daughter's condition. Without even thinking about it, Rachel reached over and took Finn's hand in hers. He squeezed her fingers gently in a way to let her know it was okay.

"What's going on? Has there been a change? Is she awake?" Finn spewed a million questions at once, all of the questions Rachel was too scared to ask herself.

"There has been a change Mr. and Mrs. Hudson, but I'm afraid..." Rachel immediately squeezed Finn's hand tighter. "...it's not a positive one. We've been monitoring Autumn's progress closely since she was brought in. Unfortunately, we have not received the results we had expected. The hope was that after strict monitoring and bed rest that the swelling in your daughter's brain would slow down and stop completely. Unfortunately this isn't the case. It appears that her brain has continued to swell..."

"So what does that mean? What do we do now?" Finn asked, squeezing Rachel's fingers himself.

"I'm afraid the only solution is to perform a craniotomy to help relieve some of the swelling. We'll take out part of her skull to give her brain the room it needs to expand and heal. The plan is to use the part of her skull that is already cracked, and remove that part."

"Wait..." Rachel exclaimed. "You're saying you're going to remove part of her skull so her brain can swell more...isn't that what you're trying to stop?"

Dr. Peyton nodded. "Yes. But by doing this, it'll allow the brain to heal naturally."

Rachel immediately felt like she was going to be sick. Her poor baby.

"Will it save her life?" It was the only thing Finn really cared about.

Dr. Peyton nodded. Finn squeezed Rachel's hand gently and turned to look at her. Her lip trembled as he did so.  
"Rachel, she needs..."

"I know." She stammered. "But Finn..." A sob emerged from her lips and Finn immediately stood up to hug her to him.

"I know Rach. I know."

"The sooner we perform the surgery, the sooner we'll be able to make an accurate assessment of what's to come for Autumn." Dr. Peyton inserted.

"If you think it will help..." Rachel whispered.

"Mrs. Hudson, we won't know until we try. But if her brain keeps swelling with no relief..."

She just nodded. "Okay. Yes." Finn nodded in agreement.

Dr. Peyton nodded and produced a form for both of them to sign before leaving the room. Both Finn and Rachel sat there in shock for a few moments.

"What are we going to do Finn?" She asked quietly after a few minutes. "He's..." She couldn't complete the thought as a sob erupted from her lips. "He's going to take out part of our baby's..." He brought her closer to him as gently as he could and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"It's going to be okay Rachel."

She jerked away from him, brushing angrily at her tears with her good hand. "How can you say that? Our baby is having BRAIN SURGERY in probably minutes because it's swelling and all you can say is that it'll be okay..."

He backed away from her. "What do you want to me to say Rachel?" He tried to keep his voice down. "I'm just as scared as you. I'm scared to death that something is going to happen to her and there's going to be nothing I can do about it!" He hissed, trying not to let anger take over. He took a deep breath. "Rach...I want nothing more than this whole thing to just be a really bad dream. Not just for the girls but for you too...I wish I could take it all away..."

"Well you can't." She stammered. No matter how hard she tried, the tears kept coming. She sighed. "I don't want to lose her Finn..." She sobbed. Finn bit his lip and took her hand.

"We're not going to." He whispered.

They were quiet for a few minutes. Rachel leaned back and closed her eyes, the tears continuing to spill out of her eyes. She vaguely heard a sniff coming from the side of the bed, and she opened her eyes slowly to find Finn with his head in his hands. He must have felt her looking at him, because he sat up and hurriedly brushed at his eyes.

"Sorry." He meant it as more than just an apology for crying openly, but he wasn't sure it would be received as such. He just...he felt somewhat responsible for this whole mess. He just didn't know how to explain that to her.

She shrugged. "Don't be."

He sniffed again and wiped at his eyes before standing up. "I should go check on Sheridan and go up to see..."

She nodded, dabbing at her own eyes.

She sobbed when he left. She didn't care who heard her, but she openly sobbed. She was so scared, so terrified that something was going to happen and she wasn't going to be able to come back from it. Her family had already suffered so much this past year, that they didn't really need any more blows.

* * *

The surgery had been a success. Finn felt all the breath leave his body as Dr. Peyton announced that Autumn had pulled through the surgery well and would be moved back to her room shortly after the anesthetic wore off. Relief surged through his body as he hugged his mother who had come to wait with him.

"Thank you God." He whispered into his mother's hair. She hugged him tight before pulling away from her son. Finn immediately reached for the phone in the little waiting room and dialed Rachel's extension.

* * *

She was just dozing when the phone rang. Her father had placed it beside her on the bed before he had left to go and get some dinner with her Daddy. She picked it up gingerly.

"Hello?"

"Rach..." He sighed into the phone. "She's out of surgery. It went fine. She's going to be fine."

She immediately felt the tears rise again, and tried her best to keep them at bay. But it was no use.

"Thank God." She whispered over and over, much like Finn had when Dr. Peyton had announced that she was okay.

"I'm going to wait up here until she's out of recovery and go see her. Can you call Sheridan and tell her?" He asked softly.

"Of course." Rachel nodded through her tears. "Thanks Finn."

"No problem. I'll see you after with a full report." She nodded as if he could see her before ending the call. She sighed before making the call to Sheridan's room.

* * *

It was two hours later when Finn could finally go in and see her. He sighed when he entered her little room in the ICU, and his heart dropped when he saw the bandage that wrapped around her little head.

"Oh Autumn." He whispered as he pulled a chair up next to her bed. He took her hand and rubbed her little knuckles softly. "It's all up to you now baby. I know it probably seems a lot easier to sleep baby, but I need you to keep fighting. Mommy and I both need you to fight and come out of this baby. We love you baby." He leaned over and kissed her forehead.

* * *

_**Thoughts? **_


	19. I Would Take It All Back

**Well, well, well...look what we have here! This chapter literally drove me insane so I hope you guys like it. I finally hit my stride tonight oh about two hours ago? My bestie can attest to that when I sent her three lines just to drive her crazy (LOVE YOU BEC!). She's the Santana to my Rachel, no doubt :). ANYWAYS. Some of you will be happy with this chapter. Well, most of you should be happy with this one. Enjoy!**

And as always, I don't own Rachel, Finn or anyone that actually appears on glee. They're all Ryan Murphy's though he has screwed them up so badly in some cases. I do own Sheridan, Autumn and any original characters. 

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**Chapter 19: August 2027  
**Hiram pushed her wheel chair down the hallway of the ICU and towards Autumn's room.

"Ready for this?" He asked softly. Rachel blew out a slow breath as she looked up at her Dad. She clutched the handles of her wheelchair with her good hand, her body tensing.

"No." She whispered, her voice quivering slightly. "But I need to see her. I need to see her with my own eyes. I need to see that she's still here..." Her lip trembled. Hiram nodded and patted her shoulder before moving to open the door to Autumn's room. Rachel braced herself as the door opened in front of her. A gasp emitted from her mouth just as tears surfaced in her eyes as they landed on Autumn's still form on the bed. Hiram pushed her closer to the bed and Rachel immediately reached her good hand out to touch her, despite the ache that radiated through her body. As soon as her fingers touched her little fingers, the tears couldn't be held back any longer. "Autumn, Mommy's here baby. Mommy's here. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to come visit, but I'm here now. Everything's going to be okay Princess. Please, just wake-up and come back to us." She whispered as she rubbed her fingers. "I love you so much baby."

As she sat there, staring at Autumn's small form on the bed, she couldn't help but be brought back to the day Autumn had stormed into her life, on her own timetable no less.

_She was just getting up from the couch to go take the casserole Carole had brought over earlier out of the oven when she felt it. The sharp pain that she recognized as a contraction tore through her, causing her to double over. She clutched her stomach for a moment as she waited for the feeling to pass. When it did, she stood up and leaned against the counter for a few moments before going to take the casserole out of the oven. She was just righting herself with the hot dish in her hands when another pain shot through her. It startled her so much that she dropped the dish to the ground, the smashing of the glass and the yelp she emitted bringing Sheridan running into the kitchen._

"Mom, what's wrong?" She asked quickly, her eyes widening at the sight of the broken dish and food on the ground. Rachel bent over, clutching her stomach as the pain began to subside. When she stood up she took note of the time. Less than ten minutes apart. "Did you burn yourself?"

Rachel shook her head, her hands firmly planted on her stomach. As if right on cue, another pain ripped up her side.

"Sheridan..." She breathed deeply, her head down as she felt the familiar trickle of her water breaking between her legs. "I need you to go call your Dad...Nana...someone and tell them they need to get here...now." She gritted. Sheridan's eyes widened and she ran from the room, grabbing the cordless phone and dialing the number as fast as she could.

_Things were moving fast, and Finn was still yet to be found. His cell phone kicked immediately to voicemail. Sheridan had gotten a hold of Carole on the first ring, while she watched her mother pace the length of the kitchen, her hand on her back._

"Alright, alright." Carole bustled into the house, took one look at her daughter-in-law and grabbed her arm gently. "Let's get to the hospital. Sheridan, grab your mom's bag and keep trying your father..." Sheridan nodded and ran for the stairs before flying back down, grabbing her mom's cell phone before following them out the door.

Finn finished up practice and got to his phone, turning it on immediately. His heart stopped when the phone turned on and immediately began to chime with all of the missed calls. When he listened to the messages, he tore out of the school and ran for his car, hoping he hadn't missed anything.  
He didn't need to ask which room his wife was in, he heard her screams and groans the moment he stepped into the maternity ward. He skidded into her room, just as she was being given an epidural. He wasn't sure if the look of relief on her face was because of the pain medication or his arrival. 

_By 8pm, a short four hours since her water had broken and she had felt her first full on contraction, Rachel was ready to have her baby. She pushed over and over, screaming as she did so to get her pain and discomfort across. She cried as the pain split through her, until there was nothing left to feel physically. Emotionally? Relief flooded her being as the screams of her newborn filled the room. _

_"Congratulations, it's a girl!"_

Rachel continued to sob as the baby girl was placed on her chest as the nurse moved to rub her down. Rachel sniffed as placed her hand on the baby's back, a slight chuckle coming from her mouth as the baby's cries died down and she snuggled closer.

"Another girl." She breathed as she looked up at Finn, tears lacing her words.

"Another shining star." He whispered as he placed a hand on the baby's back. "She's gorgeous. Look at all that hair!" He marveled as he looked at his new daughter.

"Guess all the heartburn was worth it" She joked.

Finn leaned over and kissed her head softly. "I love you" He whispered. She sighed contentedly as she the baby cuddled into her chest more.

"I love you too." She whispered, before looking down at the baby whose eyes opened slowly and blinked several times. "She's perfect."

"Absolutely perfect." Finn agreed.

Finn walked down the hallway towards Sheridan's room, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. After talking with Dr. Mather last night, Sheridan was due to start physiotherapy on her leg today. As it had been a few days since the accident and Sheridan had been healing as well as to be expected, Dr. Mather had ordered the physiotherapy to start with the hopes that Sheridan could be discharged from the hospital in a few short days. They would start first with getting her settled on crutches to gain some mobility, and then would work on the strength in her left leg when she moves to a smaller cast down the road. He felt optimistic about this new development for Sheridan, but his heart was heavy as he thought about Autumn, who still lay in the ICU, fighting with all of her might to come back to them. At least he hoped and prayed she was.  
And then there was Rachel. His Rachel. Was it even fair to call her that? He tried with all his might to fight the need to just pull her in his arms every time he saw her. While they had a few private moments together, he still felt this overwhelming need to make everything okay, make everything better. Every time she looked at him, his heart broke. She was so broken, and he wanted to be there for her, but he wasn't quite sure how to be. He wasn't sure she would let him.

He knocked briefly on Sheridan's door before entering the room.

"Hey princess." He smiled when he saw her sitting up in her bed, a magazine that Quinn had brought her the day before splayed across her lap. He chuckled when he saw it was open to an article about One Direction, her favourite band. "How are you doing this morning?"

She was quiet, bit her lip and looked up at him. "I'm okay. Dr. Mather was in here earlier, my physiotherapy appointment is at 11" Finn nodded.

"Do I have to do it?"

"Do what?" He sat down on the chair beside her bed.

"Physiotherapy." She answered quietly, flipping the magazine closed.

"What? Sheridan..." He rubbed his face. Dr. Mather had explained in depth last night about the benefits of the physiotherapy especially highlighting the fact that it would help her get on her feet faster. "Why not? You heard Dr. Mather last night..."

"I just don't want to, alright? I'm not ready." She shook her head. "It's going to hurt..."

Finn sighed. "Sheridan, you need to start it so you can go home..."

"What if I don't want to go home Dad?" Her voice wavered. "What if I want to stay here until I'm healed? What if I..."

"First of all, you can't just stay here. It's not up to you. Second of all, why don't you want to go home? I bet you miss your bed. You love your bed..."

She sighed. "I do...but...Dad...it'll be weird. Mom probably has to stay here for awhile and Autumn..." Her lip trembled as her thoughts drifted to her comatose sister. "Dad, I don't want to go home. I don't want the stupid physiotherapy. I just want to stay here where it's safe and nothing's going to happen..." She crossed her arms over her chest in an act of defiance. Finn chuckled a little bit, the scene in front of him reminding him of many arguments between the two of them when Sheridan was younger. All that was missing was the pout.

But as he stared at her, it all became too clear to him. She was scared of going home because going home meant everything was changing for her once again. Going home without her Mom and Autumn made things real, made the trauma of the car accident real for her. Finn stood up from his chair and wrapped his arms around her, gently pulling her upper body into a hug. She buried her head in his t-shirt as she clutched him to her, letting her emotions take over. Finn rubbed her back in a soothing manner until her sobs subsided.

"It's going to be okay Sheridan." He whispered into her ear as she pulled away from him. He wiped at her tears much like he always had since the time she was little.

"But Dad, what if it isn't? What if Autumn never wakes up? What if..." She leaned her head into her hands as her sobs started again.

"She's going to Sheridan. She's going to come around."

"You can't promise me that! Dad, this is all my fault if I had just..."

"Hey!" He grabbed for her chin and turned her to face him. "Sheridan, this...situation is not your fault. It's that stupid driver who ran the red light and crashed into your mother's car's fault. It is NOT your fault..."

"But we were fighting and Mom turned to yell at me and..."

"Sheridan. I promise you. This wasn't your fault. Whether you were arguing in the car or not would not change the fact that someone else wasn't paying attention when they were supposed to be" She sniffled as he let go of her chin. She stared at him for a second with her watery eyes. He silently hoped that she believed him. He knew he hadn't been the greatest father in the last few months, he just needed her to believe him now. "Now will you please go to physiotherapy?"

She sighed. "I still don't see why. My leg is going to be in a cast forever. Why bother?"

Finn tried to look at her with a stern expression on his face, even though it was hard to. "Sheridan, they're going to teach you how to move around on your crutches so you're able to at home. Then, when you get a smaller cast they'll teach you how to walk and build the muscle and strength back into your leg. And why bother? I have two reasons. Your mother and Autumn." She arched her eyebrow at him. "They need you to get better and stronger so that they can too. If you're going to do this for anyone other than yourself, think of them. You need to do this for them Sheridan." She immediately began to cry again as the words left his lips. He didn't mean to make her cry, but it was the truth. If anyone or anything was going to be her motivation, what was better than her own sister and mother?

"Okay." She whispered as her sobs subsided. "I'll go to physiotherapy."

Finn nodded, a small smile playing at his lips. "That's my girl."

* * *

Rachel returned to her room after visiting with Autumn for most of the morning, her body aching and screaming from the pain she was experiencing. Her Daddy helped her get settled in her bed, before handing her a magazine that had been brought to her by one of her coworkers. He left after a few minutes, promising to return later with her Papa, as he had to go and tend to some things for work. Her eyes watered when the door closed behind him. She leaned back on the bed, the tears gathering more in the corners of her eyes as she laid there. Her mind ran with the images and memories of the visit she just had with Autumn. How had they gotten here? How had this become the reality for her family? Autumn had looked so little laying on the bed, the white bandage around her head from the surgery she had endured, the wires and tubes that were feeding into many parts of her body made her cringe. She prayed several times over that her poor little girl would get through this eventually, and hopefully soon. She prayed for that even more so then her own recovery.

* * *

Finn accompanied Sheridan to her first physiotherapy appointment, relenting after she begged. As it turned out, Jenna, the physiotherapist working with her, encouraged him to come in with them so he could learn as well. Just as he had said, the first appointment introduced Sheridan to her crutches, getting sized for them and getting a feel for them. When they returned to the room, Sheridan was feeling better about having to go to physiotherapy altogether, though the appointment had left her feeling rundown and tired. Finn left her as she was beginning to doze off in a nap. He left the room, closing the door behind him slowly. He leaned against the door and breathed in and out a few times with his eyes closed before opening them. He walked next door and knocked softly on the door, waiting for the permission to come in. When he heard Rachel softly say so, he opened the door and walked into her room slowly.

Rachel smiled ever so slightly at him as he walked into the room. She couldn't lie, it was good to see him. Company was company.  
"Hey" He returned her small smile and sat down in the chair beside her bed. They were silent for a few minutes, just sitting beside each other and taking in the moment and each other's presence.

"How did physiotherapy go with Sheridan?" She asked after a few minutes of silence.

"It was alright. Mainly just an introductory appointment. They measured her for her crutches and got her on some, working on how to stand and put all of her weight on her right leg. She got used to it after a few minutes" Rachel nodded, picking at an invisible thread on her blanket. "She didn't want to go at first."

Rachel's head shot up. "What? Why?"

"I think she feels guilty."

Rachel let out a small gasp, looking at Finn with a face that he knew well. One that meant go on, one filled with shock.

"She's scared to go home by herself." He said simply. "And she feels like the accident was her fault..."

"Finn, it wasn't..." Her voice shook.

He held up his hand and looked at her. "I told her that. I explained it all to her. It was the only way I got her to go"

"Oh my poor Sheridan. Did they say anything in physiotherapy about when she could go home..."

"Once she's stable on her crutches, with Dr. Mather's permission of course. She'll have appointments twice a week though as an outpatient."

Rachel nodded. "I can get my Dads to sta..." Finn cut her off.

"Rachel, I'll take care of it. Everything's fine."

She stared at him for a moment, biting her lip as if she was holding back saying something.

"Finn, I can't ask..."

"Rachel, she's my daughter." He said simply. He reached over and took her hand. When she didn't flinch away from him, he took it as a good sign that it was okay. "I'll take care of her. You just focus on getting better yourself."

He kept her hand in his, rubbing her fingers ever so slightly. They stay quiet, neither of them really saying anything. Finn felt his heart swell ever so slightly as the tick of the clock passed them by. The longer the silence went on, the more encouraged Finn became. Maybe it would be okay. Maybe this was the start of something new for them. Maybe...

She abruptly pulled her hand away as Finn's thoughts began to overrun his mind.

"Finn..." She pulled her hand towards her and away from his grasp. He looked at her, his eyes slightly widened.

"Rachel..." He whispered.

"Finn, what are you doing here?" She asked quietly, not allowing her eyes to find his.

"What do you mean what am I doing here?" He asked for himself. "I..."

"Finn..."

"You're my family Rach." He started quietly. "This is where I belong...with you and our girls"

Rachel's lip trembled as the words slipped out of his mouth. How long had she waited to hear those words? How many nights had she cried herself to sleep, wishing and hoping against hope that things would change for her family. For herself.

"Why now?" She asked quietly. "Why not 7 months ago when you didn't fight back, when you didn't fight for us? Why not 4 months ago when you took your ring off?" She watched as he swallowed hard and looked down at his hands. She swallowed against the lump in her own throat as her words registered and hit home.

"Rach..." He'd struggled so hard all those nights ago, when he finally slid the cool metal band off his finger. He'd been in the midst of a drunken pity party when he went for it, allowing the hopelessness of the situation to overtake him. Now he regretted it, not that that was an consolation for the look on her face right at this moment. He didn't have an answer for her questions. He didn't know why he'd done anything he had done over the last several months. But when he'd gotten that call, when he'd answered the phone and heard the hysteria in Sheridan's voice? The bottom to his world had fallen out and he knew he had to get to them. He had to get to his family and make this all right again. How he was going to do that still was yet to be determined. "I'm sorry." He whispered. They were the only words he could come up with. And he was sure that they weren't nearly enough to convey how he felt. He wasn't sure there were enough words in the world that would ever get across to her how completely sorry he felt. He lifted his head from his lap and turned to look at her. She was clenching and unclenching her good fist, silent tears streaming down her cheeks.  
And if his heart wasn't broken before, just looking at her right now would surely have shattered it to pieces.

"I can't even begin to describe to you how sorry I am." He whispered. "But Rachel, I...I'm here now and I hope that means something to you. It should mean something." She closed her eyes at that moment, the tears continuing to fall down her cheeks from the corners of her eyes. He watched her bite her bottom lip. He could tell she was trying to keep her sobs at bay.

"I think you need to go." She whispered without opening her eyes. "Please." Her voice was laced with every tear she had yet to shed. He stood up from the chair but didn't move to leave just yet. He watched her squeeze her eyes tighter and her lip tremble. He leaned over and placed a kiss on the top of her head, waiting for the flinch that never came. He walked away from the bed slowly, and walked out of her room. He stopped just outside of her door, just as a loud sob exploded from her lips and tears immediately came to his own eyes. He had to walk away so he didn't run back in. If he wanted any chance of fixing this, he had to respect her wishes and leave her be.

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Exactly a week after the horrible accident occurred, Sheridan was discharged from the hospital on crutches and with an order for several weeks of physiotherapy. Finn collected her bag as she sat on the edge of her bed, looking down at her casted leg.

"Hey, it's going to be okay." He smiled softly, lifting the bag over his shoulder before going to hand her the crutches. She took them gingerly from him. She'd only gotten them yesterday and she wasn't quite sure how she felt about them just yet. She eyed the wheelchair in the corner of the room.

"Want one last ride instead?' He asked softly. She nodded. Finn went to grab the wheelchair and helped her into it while she held her crutches in her hands. She touched his arm before he could move away.

"You're going to stay with me, right Dad?" Her eyes were wide and questioning.

Finn smiled softly. "Of course baby."

* * *

He parked his car in the driveway, before turning back to look at Sheridan.

"Here we go" He said softly. She smiled a little back at him, just as he got out of the car. He ran up to the front door, unlocking it with the key he still had before going back to the car to help her out. He helped her hobble up the front steps of house and into the foyer.

For Sheridan, everything seemed different and the same all at once. It had been a week since she'd been home and things just seemed so...usual as she hobbled into the house. She held onto Finn for support as he helped her into the living room and onto the couch.  
"I'm going to go grab your stuff." He grabbed the remote off the table and handed it to her after making sure her leg was raised before going back out to the car.

The silence in the house was deafening. This house was never quiet. Autumn was always buzzing about, or singing at the top of her lungs or playing with the most obnoxious toy she could find. And if that wasn't enough, her mother was usually singing or listening to some annoying Broadway soundtrack. Well, they weren't so much annoying it was just when you heard No Day but Today from Rent on repeat it kind of got a little out of hand. But now, she missed those moments most of all.

Her Dad walked back into the house, dropping her bag of things from the hospital by the door before joining her in the living room. He sat on the couch beside her.

"Why don't we see what's on pay-per-vu?" He asked softly. "And I was thinking we could order some pizza for dinner..." As if on cue, Sheridan's stomach grumbled. "I'll take that as a yes."

She chose the latest movie in the Divergent series from pay-per-vu, and they started it once their pizza had arrived. They ate in silence, enjoying the movie and peace and quiet for what they were. When it was over, she looked over at her Dad. It was late, later then she had been up all week and she was tired.

"Do you think you could help me to the bathroom?" She whispered softly. "I just need help up the stairs and actually in...I can..." Finn stopped her.

"Of course Sher." He smiled. He stood up and helped her stand on her good leg, before supporting her up to the bathroom. He waited in the hallway while she did what she needed to do, and then went in when she called him to.

He helped her to her room afterwards, grabbing her some pajamas and handing them to her. "I'll be back to help you get settled." He sighed. "I'm going to go set up the couch..."

Sheridan screwed up her nose. "The couch? Why don't you sleep in your...Mom's...your room..." She stuttered over the right words as she played with her pajamas. "I mean, she's not here, right? And the couch is really uncomfortable..." She was right. He'd become quite acquainted with that couch before the separation.

"Alright." He was too tired to argue.

He helped her get settled in her bed for the first time in a week, making sure she was comfortable and hugging her good night before he left, promising to stay in his bedroom so he was close by.

The feeling of familiarity flooded his being as he walked into the bedroom that had been his for years. He hadn't realized how much he missed the small room, with the grey coloured walls, and the quilt on the bed with pink accents. He walked over to the bed, took off his shoes and shucked off his shorts and shirt before slipping into what had once been his side of the bed. He slept better that night then he had in a long time.

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_**Thoughts? Sorry it took so long, been a killer week at work :( **_


	20. Down On My Knees

**Well, well, well. Here you go!  
Thank you for all of your reviews and favourites. Hope you guys like it!  
I only own Sheridan, Autumn and the plot. Unfortunately, I don't own Rachel and Finn. If I did, things would have ended a LOT differently before Cory passed. Anywho...here's chapter 20! **

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**Chapter 20: August 2027**

Finn got out of his car in the school parking lot, grabbing his briefcase before closing the door and locking it behind him. He walked into the school with a slump in his shoulders. He wasn't sure how this was going to go. It was a little less than two weeks until the start of the new school year and while he usually enjoyed the hurried rush of getting his classroom together and perfecting his lesson plans, his mind was elsewhere. His family was in crisis, and he was needed with them more than anything. He walked into the school and headed straight for the office, where his principal, Paul Green was waiting for him. Finn knocked on the door before poking his head in.

"Finn, come on in!" The older man stood up and immediately held his hand out for Finn to shake. They got along well, as they'd both arrived at the school around the same time. Finn had actually been the first teacher he'd hired. "What do I owe the pleasure? I got your voicemail the other day..."

"I need to talk to you about this school year..."

"Sure, sure. You want to coach the basketball team again?" Paul was distracted by the papers on his desk.

"Paul, my family..." He paused to collect his thoughts. "My girls were in a pretty bad car accident almost two weeks ago..."

Paul dropped the papers he was shuffling and looked at Finn. "I'm sorry to hear that Finn...are they okay?"

"I got to bring Sheridan home a few days ago. Rachel and Autumn are still in the hospital. They're in rough shape and I need...I need to be there for them right now..." He ran his hands through his hair as he tried to get the words out.

Paul held up his hand. "Don't go any further. How much time do you need? We'll get you a supply and...we can make do with old plans and..."

Finn reached down and opened his briefcase. He dug out the plans he had done thus far, really just improvements and changes made to old plans from the past. "I have until Thanksgiving planned out. I don't know how long..." He dropped his head. "Rachel's in rough shape and Autumn...she's still in a coma..."

"Oh Finn, I'm sorry to hear that." Paul sighed.

"Thank you." He said quietly. He ran his fingers through his hair. "I just need..."

"Take all the time you need" Paul held up his hand, stopping him from going any further.

They firmed up plans to speak in the future, Paul reiterating that he would take care of everything including speaking to the school board about his leave. Finn walked out of the school feeling like a weight had been sort of lifted off his shoulders, one of the weights of many. He drove straight from the school to the hospital. His mom had headed over to the house to stay with Sheridan while he had his meeting and went to check in on Rachel and Autumn.

* * *

He walked into the hospital, making a beeline directly for the elevator that would take him up to the ICU. He rubbed his face when he got in the elevator as the door closed behind him. When he arrived on the floor, he nodded at the nurses he recognized as well as some of the families of other patients on the floor, offering them a small hopeful smile that they returned. He arrived at Autumn's room and pushed the door open slowly, stopping short when he saw Rachel sitting in her wheelchair beside Autumn's bed with her hand in her own.

"Oh. Sorry, I'll come back later..." He paused at the door, his hand reaching out to grab the handle.

"It's okay." Rachel sighed. She turned her eyes away from Autumn for a moment to look at Finn. "We can be here together, can't we?"

He only nodded and moved to sit down in the chair beside her.

"Autumn, Daddy's here now too baby girl" He heard Rachel say softly, her fingers running over Autumn's knuckles.

"Hi baby girl" He said softly. He reached over and gently touched her hand as well, his fingers brushing Rachel's. His eyes flitted over to hers before turning to Autumn.

A quietness enveloped them, Finn choosing to focus on the rhythmic rise and fall of Autumn's chest.

"Do you think she'll ever come around?" Rachel asked after a few minutes. She turned to look Finn dead in the eyes, the ever present glistening of tear in her eyes. "We're not going to lose her, are we Finn?"

"We're not going to lose her." He said simply looking right back at her. "She's right here."

"But it just seems..."

"Hey." He reached over and touched her chin gently. "We just need to stay positive..."

"That seems so easy..." She gently moved her head so he no longer had a finger on her chin.

"I know." He whispered.

"How's Sheridan?"

"She was still sleeping when I left the house..." He trailed off. "But we went for a walk around the neighbourhood last night. She's getting good on her crutches."

Rachel merely nodded, turning her focus back to Autumn.

"Thank you for staying with her." She murmured so quietly he almost missed it.

"No need to thank me." He shrugged. "She's my kid. They're my kids." He gestured to Autumn.

They fell into another comfortable silence.

The silence reminded him of all the nights they'd spent at the house, sitting on the couch together after the kids had gone to bed. Each of them absorbed in their own things, but still very much spending time together even in silence. Finn missed those moments the most. Rachel tried to shift in her chair, immediately gaining Finn's attention and breaking him from his thoughts.

She flinched when he reached her good arm, but accepted his help to adjust herself in her wheelchair.

"Thank you" She said softly, looking up at him. "My hips were starting to go numb..." He nodded, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"No problem." He sighed. "How are you feeling, you know..."

It was her turn to sigh. "I'm still in pain but the medication is managing it better..." He nodded. "I talked to Dr. Coveno before I came up here. He recommended I start physiotherapy so I can go home too..." She trailed off. He sensed a but at the end of her sentence. He knew what was holding her back. Autumn.

"Well if he thinks you're healing well enough to start physiotherapy and go home..." He started carefully.

"That's not the point Finn." She sighed, scratching at the top of her casted leg.

"I know." He sighed. "But Rach..."

"You don't understand Finn." She said quietly.

He bit his tongue. He didn't want to say anything hurtful or mean, especially in front of Autumn. Dr. Peyton had stressed that she could hear everything going on around her, and to keep conversations as light as possible.

He took a deep breath and looked at her. He reached over to take her hand, which made her turn to face him. "Make me understand then"

He heard her sigh and then followed with a sniffle. "I just...I need to be here..."

"And you will be. No one is going to stop you. I don't think anyone will be able to stop you..." He chuckled a little bit and squeezed her fingers. When she squeezed them gently back, his heart leapt. "And I'd make sure you could get here..." He added quietly.

She smiled softly at him, blinking a few times to keep the tears at bay. "I just don't know if I'm ready to leave her here yet..."

"I know." He whispered. "I know. But you have to think about yourself as well. Get yourself better so that you can be there for her and Sheridan..." _And me, _he wanted so badly to add. But he held his tongue.

"All I think about is her. And Sheridan. I don't care about me. It's never been about me. Not since I held Sheridan in my arms for the first time."

"Rach..." He rubbed his face. "Rach, you have to look out for yourself too..."

"You don't understand Finn. These kids ARE me. They're my life. I can't walk away from them. Ever. Not like you."

Her comment hit him straight in the heart. He actually looked away from her for a moment.

"I'm sorry." She looked down at her hands. "That was out of line. I just..."

He held up his hand. "It's fine. I deserve it. Really, I do." She bit her lip but didn't disagree with him. They continued to stare at each other for a few moments.

When Rachel finally dragged her eyes away from Finn's, she went back to holding Autumn's hand. He gently reached over and touched her shoulder.

"I meant it the other day when I said I was sorry." He whispered as he rubbed her shoulder gently. He leaned over and placed a kiss just above her ear. He closed his eyes at the contact, until she flinched away with a gasp. He sighed, thinking it was him.

"Finn" She gasped out. "Finn, look"

He pulled away from her and immediately turned himself to find Autumn's eyes blinking slowly obviously trying to focus on her surroundings.

"Autumn" He sighed, a slight chuckle rising in his voice as he tried to hold back a sob. He pulled his body away from Rachel's and leaned over to get closer to her. "Autumn bug, hi baby girl." She blinked at him slowly, her eyes going from Rachel who was crying softly to Finn and back again. Finn chuckled again as tears rose and fell from his own eyes slowly.

As she stared at them, Finn reached over and hit the call button above Autumn's bed just as she began to cry. It came as more of a strangled cry, given the tubes that were in her mouth and nose. Rachel immediately tried to soothe her, amongst her own tears of relief. "It's okay Autumn, it's alright baby. Everything's going to be okay." He watched as Rachel tried to soothe her, running her good hand over Autumn's hair which made her cry harder.

Nurses and Dr. Peyton flooded the small room and immediately got in between Finn, Rachel and Autumn. Finn had to pull Rachel back in her wheelchair as both her and Autumn's cries got louder. Finn immediately wrapped his arms around her as best as he could, and kissed her head softly as they watched from the corner of the room as they checked Autumn over.

"It's going to be okay Rach. It's going to be okay" He repeated.

As soon as they were allowed to, Rachel and Finn made it back over to Autumn. Everyone but Dr. Peyton had vacated the room. Rachel immediately took her hand as her blinks got slower, her eyes still rapidly flipping between Rachel and Finn.

"This is a good sign. A very good sign." Dr. Peyton said softly. "She's going to be tired, want to sleep. Just keep talking to her. Remind her that it's okay, where she is, who you are and who she is. Recovery is a slow process." He smiled as Autumn's eyes slid closed again, this time clutching Rachel's hand in hers. "We'll have to run some tests, to check for brain damage and any new trauma but for now I'll leave you." He nodded, looking at them both before leaving the room.

Rachel immediately leaned into Finn, careful not to let go of Autumn's hand which turned out to be a pretty uncomfortable position. Her sobs had dulled to whimpers as Finn ran his hand up and down her casted arm gently, trying not to hurt her.

"See?" He whispered. "She came back to us. She's our Autumn bug. She came back to us." All Rachel could do was nod, to overwhelmed to speak.

They didn't leave Autumn's side until she was taken for her CT scan a little later into the afternoon. Dr. Peyton had encouraged them to leave the room, as they could be awhile.

"How about we go down to the cafeteria, grab a late lunch?" He asked softly, drawing her attention away from the retreating form of the orderly who was taking Autumn down to her scan.

"I need to be here. For her."

"You need to eat Rachel."

"What do you know about what I need, Finn?" The hurt and pain were back in her voice, almost as if they had never left.

"Rachel. I..."

"Don't say you're sorry. I get that that you're sorry. But it's going to take a lot more than sorry..."

"Then let me start with lunch..."

He heard her sigh. He watched her for a moment, her tears drying on her cheeks.

"Let me take care of you." He whispered. "Like I should've been all along..."

"Finn...I..." She paused. "I...just...I can't do this right now." She finally spit out. "Can you take me back to my room?"

He felt his shoulders slump but nodded at her anyway.

As they waited for the elevator to come to take them to her room, she touched his arm. "Finn, I just...I need time. This...this is a lot to deal with...and I just want to be sure this is right, I hope you can understand that."

"I can." He wanted to say more, but didn't go further.

When Rachel was settled back in her room, Finn left her alone. As soon as the door was closed, she leaned back in her bed and closed her eyes as the events of the day caught up with her. The tears rose in her eyes again as she replayed the moment she noticed her daughter's beautiful eyes opening and closing. Her Autumn had come back to her. Relief had flooded her body when she had seen those beautiful amber eyes, but the tears had rushed to her eyes when she had started to cry. She never wanted to see either of her girls cry like that, but in the last two weeks she had now seen them both in that state. Nothing hurt her worse.

* * *

Rachel wasn't ready to leave. She sat in her wheel chair, facing the door to her room almost menacingly. She'd had her first physiotherapy appointment this morning, and that had left her feeling helpless and frustrated. She was still in casts, on both her leg and arm and didn't feel like it was going to be of any benefit to her until those were removed. Dr. Coveno kept reminding her that it was something that would benefit her in the long run, and that was the only thing that had kept her going.

And now she was being discharged. Physically she was on the mend, and with her physiotherapy started there was no real reason she had to stay.

Except her little girl.

In the last two days since Autumn had opened her eyes, progress had been slow. While she was beginning to be awake for longer periods of time and had yet to say anything. Dr. Peyton was optimistic but also warned that Autumn wasn't going to be completely back to normal right away. Her CT scan had shown that while the swelling had gone down significantly, damage had been done to her brain during the accident. The extent of which would be determined over time. And that killed her. She hadn't been able to protect her little girl in the moments she had needed her the most. She wiped at her eyes, trying to control the tears that were starting to rise.

Her father's arrived what seemed like minutes later to pick her up to go home. She tried to offer them a soft smile when they walked in but she found it hard to as the tears continued to form in her eyes.

"It's going to be okay Rach." Hiram said softly, coming to wrap his arm around her. She leaned into his embrace as much as she could.

"I just don't see how that's going to happen..."

Hiram sighed, and looked over at Leroy. "Did you go and see her this morning, Rachel?"

"She was sleeping when I saw her. Finn's supposed to be coming to spend time with her while I get settled at home. I think Carole is with Sheridan this morning. "

Both of her father's nodded. That had been the plan they had been told last night as well.

"Well, should we get going?" Leroy asked softly.

Rachel looked at him and then down at her hands. "Not really. But everyone's telling me I'll feel better if I'm at home so..."

Both Hiram and Leroy sympathized with their daughter. Leroy grabbed her bag that the nurse had helped her pack this morning while Hiram made sure she was situated in the wheelchair before starting towards the door. He just reached for the door when it opened and Finn stood there. He immediately straightened and held the door so Hiram could push her through the doorway.

"Going home now?" He asked quietly, his hands in his pockets. She nodded. "I'll see you at the house, later? I'm going to hang out with Autumn..."

"Thank you" She said softly. It was the only thing she could think of to say. Knowing her baby wasn't going to be alone tonight made her feel slightly better about going home.

"I'll see you later." He leaned over and kissed her head softly.

"Finn?" She looked up at him. She could feel her father's behind them, she knew instinctively their eyes were on them.

"Yeah?"

"Walk us down?" She asked quietly. She held out her hand and Finn hesitantly nodded.

* * *

When she arrived home, Sheridan was up in her room reading in bed while Carole was bustling around in the kitchen. Her father's helped her into the house first, allowing her to lean on both of them and half carrying her in before settling her on the couch to go back out and grab her wheelchair and her bags. While they were gone, Rachel leaned her head back on the arm of couch, her eyes staring up at the ceiling above her. The house was quiet, save for the noise Carole was making in the kitchen.

It felt weird to be back at home. After two weeks in the hospital, it was hard to remember what the inside of her home looked like. But at the same time it felt good to be back here, be back with Sheridan. But it still felt empty, different. Because she had left Autumn back at the hospital. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she heard footsteps and suddenly Carole appeared in the doorway.

"Rachel, how are you feeling hunny?" She asked softly. Rachel only shrugged as she tried to pull herself up. Carole immediately went to help her, so she was in more of a sitting position. Before either could say anything else, Sheridan called from upstairs.

"Nana?"

"Yeah Sher?" She called back.

"Is Mom home yet?"

"She is!" Carole stood up and looked at Rachel. "She still needs a little bit of help getting down the stairs. I'll..."

"Yeah." Rachel wiped at her eyes. "Go help her."

Her father's brought her bag and wheelchair into the house while Carole went to help Sheridan come downstairs. They had just settled on the couch across from her as Carole came into the room with Sheridan on her crutches.

"Oh Sheridan." She whispered as she looked at her daughter.

"Mom" She sighed. Carole helped her sit down beside Rachel on the couch and Sheridan immediately reached over to hug her. "I love you Mom"

"I love you too Sher. So much" She closed her eyes as she tried to hug her close. She kissed her cheek a few times.

Finn arrived back at the house shortly after dinner, and Carole left after the dishes were finished and put away, taking Rachel's fathers with her. He stood in the doorway to the living room, trying to decide what to do. Sheridan was spread out on one couch, with her casted leg propped up while Rachel had stretched out on the other. They'd decided to watch a movie together, Finn was just unsure as to where to sit. He chose the chair that was situated between the couches and settled in for the movie of the night, Funny Girl.

When the movie was over, he helped Sheridan up to bed after she'd said good night to Rachel. When he returned back, he went to sit back in his chair. It was only when he sat down that he noticed that she was crying, trying to do it quietly. He immediately got out of his chair and walked over to where she was on the couch. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to hide her tears from him.

"Rach..." He knelt down on the floor, raising his hand to wipe her tears. She sighed.

"Finn..." She hiccupped, opening her eyes to look at him. "I..."

"Shh. Don't apologize." He whispered. He rose a little on his feet and helped her sit up a little so he could slide in beside her. She leaned her body into him. "It's going to be okay. You'll see. Soon Autumn will be home too. And everything will be fine."

She sighed against his chest. She wanted to believe him.

* * *

That night, after Finn had helped Rachel up to her bedroom and had made sure Sheridan didn't need anything else, he grabbed blankets from the closet and headed back down to the living room. He set up camp on the longer of the two couches, and dozed off to sleep wondering just what the future had in store for his family.

* * *

_**Thoughts? Don't kill me Bec! **_


	21. So I'm Runnin' Back To Tell You

**Hola! Hope this finds you guys well! This chapter literally took me forever! Worst case of writer's block ever! But I hit a breakthrough today as my Mama really helped me sort out my issues! Anyways, hope you guys enjoy this! I think you're really going to like this one :)**

As always, I don't own Finn, Rachel or anyone related to the glee 'verse. Just Sheridan, Autumn & any original characters that are developed just for this crazy fic!

On with the show!

* * *

**Chapter 21: October 2027 **

As life moved steadily forward, it started to become routine for all four of the Hudson's. There were daily appointments for both Rachel and Sheridan, and in between or during those he carved out the time to go and stay with Autumn at the hospital. His parents helped out with a lot of the transportation, especially with Sheridan who didn't always want to be at the hospital. So whenever she didn't want to tag along, someone picked her up while Finn took Rachel to the hospital for one on one time with their little girl.

Autumn. She was making progress every single day, growing stronger as time passed. It had been just over two months since the accident rocked their lives and things were continuing to move steadily. Everyone involved was hopeful that all of the improvements would soon lead to Autumn's discharge from the hospital. She'd been moved from the ICU to a Children's Ward that dealt with critical head injuries and Finn took that as a positive sign in itself. Each night after they came home, both Rachel and Finn hoped and prayed that soon Autumn would be able to come home to them.

Finn placed a cup of steaming hot coffee in front Rachel and offered her a soft smile. It was early, just after 8am and they needed to be out of the house by 9. They had a day filled with appointments for both of them. Both girls needed to go back to Lima Memorial and get their casts taken off, and replaced with walking casts for the next four weeks. Because of the severity of the breaks both of them had endured the risk of re-injury was high, so as a precaution and while they were in physiotherapy they'd both have walking casts. But it was a step in the right direction as far as Finn was concerned.

"Ready for today?" He asked softly as he lifted his own cup of coffee to his lips. He smiled a little as she lifted the mug with what they had termed her 'bad hand', the one casted. She'd come a million miles in terms of recovery from the day of the accident.

She offered him a small smile back. "I'm ready to not have this thing on my arm." She sighed. "And ready to have a little bit more independence"

He nodded. "I bet it'll be good to be able to move around on your own a little more"

"I can't wait until I can stand up to take a shower." She laughed. Finn chuckled as well. "And shave my legs...God, I can only imagine..." She shook her head and closed her eyes as the image filled her head. Finn chuckled with her again.

Part of him was sad. Today marked a turn in the nature of the relationship they had sort of patched together. Since Rachel had come home, he'd been the main caretaker in the house. He helped the girls get around, made them meals and just generally made sure they were okay while taking care of household chores. A nurse came by the house twice a week to help them both with showering and personal things that a Dad shouldn't do for his teenage daughter and well, a wife he was supposed to be separated from. And now Rachel was going to be "okay on her own" after today. What did that mean for him?

They sat quietly, enjoying the silence that had enveloped them. They heard Sheridan moving around upstairs, her mobility was getting better as time went on. She could get around on one floor by herself, but still needed assistance on stairs. She would be starting school next week once she got used to her walking cast. Finn wasn't sure how he felt about that. He still felt like he needed to keep them all in the bubble he had created for them.

"What time is the first appointment today?" Rachel asked quietly, breaking him from his thoughts.  
He shook his head and looked at her. "Well, your appointment with Dr. Coveno is at 9:45, and Sheridan sees Dr. Hargot at 10:15. Then you have physio at 11:15 and Sheridan at 11:45. I'm going to go see Autumn while you guys are there. Then maybe you can join us? And I can take Sheridan back if she doesn't want to stay..." He rambled off by memory.

Rachel nodded, her eyes widening when he finished. "I'm tired already thinking about all of that. Other than seeing Autumn of course. I can't wait to see her, and be able to hug her properly..."

Finn smiled in agreement. He knew how much it was killing Rachel to not be able to touch and comfort their daughter the way she wanted to.

* * *

Rachel went in to see Dr. Coveno first, leaving Finn in the waiting area with Sheridan.

"How are you today Rachel?" The older Doctor asked as a nurse helped her onto the exam table. "I'm relieved this day is finally here." She smiled softly. "I'm really ready to not have a cast on half of my limbs anymore."

Dr. Coveno smiled softly. "I can appreciate that. So what will happen is we're going to saw these casts off..." Rachel pulled a face. "Don't worry, I won't cut you. I promise. Once the casts are off, we'll send you for a final X-Ray after we fit the walking cast on your leg. You'll be able to take that one off when you shower but for the first little bit, leave it on during your day to day life. Your physiotherapist will guide you and give you exercises you can do at home with Finn to strengthen your leg, and in turn your pelvis as well. You'll want to take it easy, don't go skydiving or anything exciting. Just stay calm and build the activity up over time." She nodded.

Dr. Coveno got all set up and set about taking her arm cast off first. As soon as the plaster was removed, Rachel immediately went to squeeze her fist. She grimaced when her muscles didn't react favourably.

"You're going to be stiff of course, but keep flexing your fingers and your hands. Your strength will return on its own. You can always ask your physiotherapist for exercises if you feel you need to, otherwise the strength should return gradually." She nodded. When he went for her leg, she bit the inside of her cheek as the white plaster cast finally came off. He gently settled her leg down into a natural position and to say it felt weird to bend her knee was the understatement of the year.

"It's going to take some getting used to." He stated, gently examining her leg paying attention to the areas the pins had been placed. She nodded. "I'm going to put your walking cast on now, and then you're all set to head to x-ray." She nodded again. He brought over the cast, which didn't look much like a cast but more like a Velcro contraption.

"And how long will I have this on?" She asked softly. Work had been crossing her mind every once and awhile and she wondered if she'd be able to head back with this on. Even though with Autumn in the hospital, the last thing she wanted to do was head back to work. But she'd seen the bills that were piling up, and she wasn't even sure if any of them had been paid. But Finn had over and over told her not to worry. She was trying to learn to trust him.

"I'm recommending four weeks, but your physiotherapist may recommend more or less. The idea behind the cast is to help you regain the strength in your leg without reinjuring yourself. I'll also send you home with crutches for the first few days and another note for your employer." She nodded. Another four weeks. She could put off work for that long.

She went and got the X-rays taken of her leg, and then was brought back out to the waiting room in the wheelchair. Finn and Sheridan were gone, so Rachel could only assume that they were in her appointment. She pulled her phone out of her purse and flipped through a few messages she'd received while she was in her appointment. She responded to a couple from coworkers, and one from Quinn, who was wondering about her appointment this morning.

Sheridan walked into the waiting room and Rachel looked up at her, grinning when she saw she too was in her walking cast and only had one crutch. Finn walked closely behind her with the other one in his hand.

"This is so weird and so awesome at the same time." Sheridan grinned as she slowly made her way over to Rachel. Rachel looked up at her and grinned, tossing her phone into her purse. Finn smiled at her as well.

"Your appointment go okay?" He asked as he stood beside her. Rachel looked up at him and nodded with a smile.

"Just fine. Four weeks in a walking cast and more physio." She smiled. Finn nodded slightly and touched her shoulder.

"Me too. But Dr. Hargot says I can go back to school next week if I feel like I'm ready." Sheridan smiled. "I really want to get back to school."

Both Rachel and Finn nodded. They both knew how badly she wanted to go back to school. She'd been talking about it since school started up again in September.

* * *

Finn walked them both down to the physiotherapy clinic before heading back up the stairs to go and see Autumn. He grinned when he walked into her room and found her sitting up in her bed, a book with colourful pictures in her lap. She looked up from the page she was flipping through and smiled wide when she saw Finn.

"Daddy!" She grinned, lifting her arms to him. Finn made his way over to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Daddy look at my book!" She squealed when Finn let her go.

"Wow princess."

"It's the book Mommy brought me yesterday. It has all the princesses in it." Autumn grinned as she looked up at Finn. Finn smiled down at Autumn and kissed her head again before she launched into some story about the pictures in her book. Finn nodded along and provided comments and questions. He tried to ignore a few times when she stumbled over naming the princesses, mixing them up or forgetting their names altogether. This was something that months ago she could have done without a problem. He tried to ignore the stab this caused in his heart.  
He just tried to focus on the fact that Autumn was back with them and making slight improvements every day. They finished looking at the book and Autumn let it fall off the edge of the bed. She jumped a little when the book hit the floor.

"You dropped your book Autumn!" He laughed a little bit. She giggled when she looked at him, her shock at the sound the book made forgotten.

They turned on the TV in her room and Finn found an episode of Peppa Pig that immediately had Autumn in giggles. He smiled as he watched her.  
A second episode was just about to start when Autumn turned to look at Finn.

"Daddy, can you ask Mommy to bring my stuffed kitty that looks like Mowgli next time she comes?" She asked with an innocent smile on her face.

"I really want it. And white Rabbit is lonely" She held up her Bunny that she took everywhere with her.  
Finn chuckled a little bit when he took in the serious expression on her face.

"I can grab it for you baby." Finn said softly.

"You can?" She blinked her eyes and looked at him.

He chuckled. "Of course I can"

"But Daddy, how would you get in? You don't live with us!" She paused, her eyes widening a bit. "Or do you? You do!" She giggled, a big smile on her face as realization dawned.

The door opened and Rachel slowly walked in, supported by her crutch in her good arm and stepping slowly on her walking cast.

"Daddy does what?" Rachel asked as she came to sit in the chair beside Finn. He took the crutch from her and leaned it against the wall behind them.

"Mommy! Mommy!" Autumn grinned when she laid eyes on Rachel.

"Well hello princess." Rachel laughed as she looked at Autumn. She heard Finn blow out a breath just as Autumn launched into a story about the Peppa Pig episode they had just watched while the other played in the background.

They stayed like this for a while, as Autumn's lunch was brought in and Finn tried to coax her to eat. When he couldn't get her to eat the grilled cheese sandwich, he switched places quickly with Rachel. Finn's phone buzzed in his back pocket. He pulled it out to see it was Sheridan, saying she was done at physio and looking for a ride home. When Finn mentioned this to Rachel, Autumn's ears perked up.

"Daddy, if you're taking Sheridan home you can grab my kitty cat!" She exclaimed with a giggle as Rachel held up her sandwich again.

Finn ran down to the physiotherapy clinic to meet up with Sheridan. He took her home where they met Carole who was going to stay with her for the afternoon. Finn grabbed Autumn's black stuffed cat before hugging his mother and Sheridan on his way out. He sat the cat in the passenger seat of his car before taking off and heading back to the hospital.

* * *

The image that met him when he walked back into Autumn's hospital room melted his heart. Rachel was sitting as close to the bed as she could get and was running her fingers through Autumn's hair gently. He could barely hear the words, but he could make out her slowly whispering to the little girl. He tried to remain quiet, and gently placed the stuffed cat beside Autumn before sitting down on the chair. Rachel finished her song before leaning back in her chair with a sigh.

"She just fall asleep?"

Rachel nodded and rubbed her eyes a little bit, showing her exhaustion herself. "Yeah. She was getting a little cranky after you left. She really didn't want to finish her lunch. I gave in after a few minutes."

Finn nodded. "It's not worth the fight sometimes. Especially now." She mumbled an agreement as she kept her gaze on Autumn who looked so peaceful.

"You hungry?" He asked after a few minutes. The only sound in the room was the ticking of the clock and Autumn's steady, even breathing.

She shrugged a little bit. He stood up and held his hand out to her.

"Come on." He gestured. "Let's go get something to eat."

"We should stay..." She mumbled, trying to think of a reason not to go. She didn't have one.

"She's sleeping. She's probably going to sleep for at least the next hour. Remember what Dr. Peyton said yesterday? Her napping is a good thing. Means her brain is working to heal itself." She nodded. "We can just go down to the cafeteria. Or the coffee shop. You need to eat too Rach and I could really use some of that terrible coffee they make downstairs." He smiled when he saw her chuckle a little bit.

"Oh alright." She gave up and took his hands. When she was steady on her feet he helped her onto the one crutch. They both bent to kiss Autumn's forehead before leaving the room.

They walked in silence, Finn slowed his pace immensely so he could walk with her. When they got to the cafeteria, she grabbed them a table after telling Finn what she wanted. While she waited for him, she grabbed her phone out of her bag and busied herself flipping between various apps. She put the phone away when he approached the table, a tray in his hands.

"Here we are." He smiled, placing it between them. She gave him a small smile back when he handed her the Greek salad he'd gotten her.

"Thanks" She smiled as she opened her salad.

"Not a problem."

She watched for a moment as he opened his sandwich and took a bite, before digging into her own food.

"What's on your mind?" He asked softly, putting his sandwich down and taking a sip of the coffee he'd gotten for himself.

"Pardon?" She asked as she swallowed.

"You look like you're deep in thought over there. What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She shook her head, stabbing a forkful of salad and bringing it to her mouth.

"C'mon Rach, I know you better than that." He sighed. "Something's bugging you."

She sighed and put her fork down. She reached for her water, uncapping it slowly as he stared at her. She swallowed. "How are we holding up financially?" She asked quietly. She heard him sigh. She wondered if she'd stepped over the line. Maybe she was being a little presumptuous with the way she asked, maybe it wasn't appropriate.

"We're fine." He answered quickly, picking his sandwich up again and taking a bite. It was her turn to stare at him. She wasn't stupid. Obviously she was off work, but she was still being paid a bit of her salary and he clearly had taken leave from his job as well, to take care of them.

"Fine?" She questioned softly, her eyes searching his.

"We're fine...I promise." He gave her a weak smile. He didn't want her to know that things were tight. He didn't want her to worry. He'd managed to pay the bills everywhere over the last two months, thanking God that the apartment he had rented was all inclusive. The only stressor at the moment was the hospital bills, but they were nothing to be terrified of - just yet. They were getting by and that's all that mattered. His parents and hers had offered to help, but he'd assured them they were fine. They'd figure it all out when everyone was well again.

She gave him an intense look for a few moments before turning back to her salad. He reached his hand out to touch hers. "I promise Rachel, I've taken care of everything. You have nothing to worry about." She sighed while attempting to stab another piece of lettuce onto her fork.

* * *

Later that evening, Finn and Rachel sat at the dining room table eating the stuffed shells that Carole had left for them. Sheridan left them alone to go and call her best friend to catch up on school gossip. They ate in silence, the comfort of the quiet lulling them into a sense of normalcy.

Rachel wiped her mouth with her napkin and then broke the silence. "When you said we're fine...at the hospital...what does fine mean? How could we be okay with me on sick leave and you on sabbatical pay?" Finn dropped his fork as the words caught up to him. He cleared his throat before answering.

"I told you not to worry about it. We're not behind on anything. We're fine" He tried to assert.

She gave him a look, not letting the topic go. "But for how long Finn? On top of everything you have your apartment to pay for..."

He paused, sighing loudly to collect his thoughts. She continued to stare at him intently. "Rachel, I've been meaning to bring this up but you know me, I'm not any good with words. So I'm just going for it and hope it makes sense. Moving out was a huge mistake. This was all a huge mistake"

Her eyes widened, his admission taking her completely by surprise. "What do you mean, a huge mistake? This is what you wanted..." She felt her heart rate speed up and she tried to catch her breath.

He blew out a breath. "It was and I was wrong. My place is with you, with our family. I guess I really needed to grow up. I can't believe how selfish I was." He stares at her, a serious expression on his face. "Rachel, there is no other world without you and the girls. You three are my world."

Rachel sat back in her chair crossing her arms across her chest. She stared at him, a quizzical look on her face. What was she supposed to say to all of this? Her mind began to race and her heart pounded quickly.

"Was it the accident?" She asked bluntly after a few minutes. She needed to know.

"The accident was like being hit by lightening." He paused. "But it was clear to me even back in June..."

"June?" She questioned.

He nodded trying to keep his gaze on her. "I know, June was a long time ago. It's taken me that long to realize what an idiot I was. What an idiot I am"

She chuckled a little bit at his admission. She paused for a moment, looking at him intently. "I don't really know what to say Finn."

"You don't need to say anything. I just really needed to get that off my chest." He paused. He stood up from his chair and walked over to her side of the table, kneeling at her side as she flinched. "I love you Rachel. I never stopped loving you." He stared at her, gazing intently. She gazed back at him, gently pulling her lip between her teeth. He reached up and gently tugged her lip out, before leaning in to place a kiss on her lips. She gasped slightly as he approached, but blew out a breath just before his lips touched hers. She closed her eyes as his lips met hers, allowing herself to give in to the feeling and let it happen. She felt her body relax as the clock ticked, Finn raising his hand to touch her cheek softly before he pulled away from her. She sighed as they separated, her eyes taking a beat to open slowly. When she did open them, she found him staring at her intently once again.

"Finn" She breathed.

"Rachel..." He leaned his head forward, resting his forehead on hers. They held a gaze for several moments, just drinking each other in. He kissed her forehead a few times before finally pulling away from her. He stood up and began to collect the plates from the table, taking them to the kitchen and setting them into the sink. It took a few trips to clear the table completely.

* * *

They settled into the living room after the dishes were cleared and put away. They found some old reruns of How I Met Your Mother, and settled in to watch a few episodes. When they gave way to the 11 o'clock news, Rachel stretched her arms over her head slowly as she yawned.

"I should head up to bed." She said quietly, her eyes moving from Finn's down to her lap. "I want to get to the hospital early tomorrow..."

"We can do that." He said softly. He scratched his head as he watched her stand up. Finn followed her lead and walked over to the corner where he'd stacked the blankets he had been using to make up his bed as she moved to leave the room.

"Finn?" He heard her soft voice call from the door way.

"Yeah Rach?" He dropped the sheet he had in his hand and looked at her. "Do you need me to help with something..."

"Why don't you come up to bed?" She cut him off softly.

His heart stopped and he was sure his jaw dropped a little bit. She looked at him intently, her gaze soft and bordering on affectionate.

"Finn?" She asked again.

He shook his head and dropped the sheet on the couch in an instant and crossed the room to join her. She smiled up at him as he placed his hand gently on the small of her back as they walked towards their bedroom.

"Good night Finn." She said softly once she had gotten ready for bed. He leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to her lips before laying his head on his pillow.

"Good night Rachel." He sighed when she rolled over onto her side, facing away from him. "I love you Rach " He whispered.

Rachel's heart constricted when she heard the words leave his mouth. She wanted so badly to respond, tell him that she still loved him too. She just didn't know if she was ready. She sighed and tried to will herself to fall asleep.

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_**Thoughts?**_  
**I don't know if you can tell but we're almost at the end :(. Three more chapters including the epilogue... **


	22. All That I'm After Is

**A/N: Hey guys! Hope you enjoy this new chapter! I worked really hard on it!  
As always, I don't own Finn, Rachel and anyone else from glee. They all belong to Ryan Murphy. I do how ever own Autumn, Sheridan and the plot as well as any original characters.**

Enjoy! 

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**Chapter 22: November 2027**

It all came down to today. This whole experience, this whole situation culminated in today. Autumn would be coming home later this morning, baring a good report from the night nurses and the occupational therapist. Her little girl would be returning to her and completing her family once again. But things were not going to be the same. She knew things were going to be different, Dr. Peyton had warned her over and over again that while Autumn was on the mend and moving in the right direction, she shouldn't have any high expectations. Children with traumatic brain injury, as Autumn's had been labelled, had a difficult road in front of them. Life was forever altered not just for Autumn, but for all of them. While she'd made great progress in her recovery, there were still many hurdles to overcome, some that would be exacerbated by coming home. Life was about to change once again.

She felt her shoulder being shook gently before a kiss was pressed against her cheek. She opened her eyes slowly and blinked several times before her vision focused, rolling over onto her back.

"Hey sleepy head." Finn whispered as his fingers came up to brush her hair from her face.

"What time is it?" She groaned as she lifted her arms above her head to stretch.

"Just after 8." He sighed, rubbing his own face.

"Finn, we have to get going!" She sat up quickly and ran her hands through her hair before moving to get off the bed.

"Rachel, can you just relax for one second?" He watched her slide off the bed and limp towards the closet, pulling out a few items before rushing as fast as she could off to the bathroom to get ready for the day. Finn sighed as he watched her head off, pulling at his hair and getting himself out of bed once she was gone from the room. After he got himself dressed for the day, he headed out into the hallway towards Sheridan's room. She wanted to be home when Autumn came home, so although she was a month behind at school, Finn and Rachel let her stay home so they could be a family.

He knocked on her door and waited for her to answer before he opened it. He smiled when he saw Sheridan laying in bed with the covers up to her chin, but her eyes blinked at him.

"You ready to face the day there, Sher?" He laughed as he leaned against the door frame. She pouted at him for a moment before a smile graced her face. When she groaned, he chuckled. He walked over to her bed and kneeled beside it, looking at her intently.

"You don't have to get up just yet. Mom's still getting ready and we might be awhile at the hospital before we come home..."

Sheridan nodded and bit her lip as she stared back at Finn. "Dad?"

"Yeah?"

She sighed before she spoke again. "It's going to be okay, right?"

Finn raised an eyebrow as he looked at her. "What's going to be okay?" He asked softly.

She looked down at her hands, her voice lowering. "Bringing Autumn home..."

Finn sighed, a smile coming to his lips. "Of course it's going to be fine Sheridan."

She didn't look up at him, continuing to stare at her hands.

"Sher..." He sighed, reaching over to lift her chin to force her to look at him. "It's going to be different, there's no doubt about that. You were there when we talked to Dr. Peyton yesterday. She's still going to be our Autumn. But it is going to different. She has lots of challenges to take on, lots of hurdles we're going to have to help her with . It's going to take a lot of time and patience from all of us. We need to band together and help her, she needs us. And now that you and your mom are healing more and more we can all help her. But it's going to be fine, I promise." He took her hand in his. "We'll get through this as a family, just like we've gotten through everything else in the last few months."

He saw her nod, but her eyes still held a questioning look. "Dad, you're not going to leave us again...are you?" She asked quietly after a few minutes of silence.

Finn's heart broke as he looked at her. "Sheridan..." He started. He really didn't know how to word this. How could he ever make her understand that he hadn't meant to hurt them...hadn't meant to walk away from them? How would it make sense to an almost 16 year old how much it had killed him to be away from his girls? That they were his absolute world. He'd spend the rest of his life making it up to her, making it up to all of them.

"Sheridan...no. I'm not going to leave again. I'm sorry. I wish I could rewind and take it all back because I know how much it hurt you...all of you."

* * *

Rachel leaned against the wall as she heard the hushed voices of her husband and daughter talking on the other side of the door. She closed her eyes as she sucked in a deep, cleansing breath before she knocked on the door. She didn't want to interrupt this important moment, but it was getting late and she wanted to get to Autumn as soon as possible. The sooner she got there, the sooner they could hopefully speak to the doctors they needed to and head home. She wanted to put this chapter of her family's life behind her, and the sooner she did it the better. The sooner they could just move on and focus on rebuilding themselves. She heard Sheridan call her in, and she opened the door slowly, leaning on the doorframe much like Finn had done just a little earlier.

"Hi Mama." Sheridan's soft voice smiled from the bed. Finn got off of the floor and stood up, walking over to her. Sheridan smiled slightly, watching her father place a kiss on Rachel's head.

"Do you need anything before we leave Sher?" Rachel asked softly. "I don't know how long we're going to be but..."

"I'll be fine." She smiled, throwing her blankets off of her before sliding her legs over the side of the bed. She stood up and pulled her hair back into a ponytail as she stared at her parents. "I have homework to do. Go bring my sister home." She smiled. Both Rachel and Finn nodded. Sheridan followed them down the stairs and watched from the table as they filled travel mugs with coffee and left the house, her father's hand on her mother's back. All she could do was smile before going back into the kitchen to make herself some toast.

* * *

Rachel had bought Autumn a new outfit to mark the special occasion. Finn clutched the bag in his hand, containing the new black yoga pants and long sleeved purple shirt. Autumn had loved it the moment she pulled it out of the bag. Finn had to laugh, his girls always got excited about clothes, all three of them.

"Mommy, do I get to go home today?" Autumn asked with a large smile on her face. Her eyes danced between Rachel and Finn's, twinkling in excitement.

"You do Autumn!" Rachel smiled. Autumn's excitement was contagious. They both knew that she was itching to go home. Four months in the hospital, though for a good portion of those she wasn't conscious, was a long time for anyone to be in the hospital...especially a 4 year old.

"Can we have pizza for dinner, Daddy?" She blinked at him, the smile never leaving her face.

"Anything you want princess...anything you want." He grinned.

They waited for the occupational therapist to come by, and when she did, she went over some general things they should expect from Autumn and left after giving them a packet of information filled with tips for going home with a brain injury. They had a schedule already in place for appointments. No sooner had she arrived, she had left.

"I like Miss Kelly." Autumn smiled once the therapist had left. "She's nice."

"She is baby." Finn smiled.

"Will I see her again?"

"We're going to be seeing a lot of Miss Kelly, baby" Finn answered. At least she liked her.

Once Dr. Peyton had come by and checked Autumn out one final time, he signed the discharge papers which effectively released Autumn into Finn and Rachel's care. Rachel could feel the tears surfacing in her eyes as she watched Finn sign his name on the dotted line, just below where she had scrawled her name. She had been waiting for this day, for this moment since she'd woken up herself in the hospital a few months ago. She just wanted to get back to normal, whatever normal was.

Finn packed up Autumn's stuff, all of the cards, gifts and flowers that had come in from friends and family, smiling at the little drawings that had accompanied some cards from families of kids Autumn had gone to preschool with. His heart hurt, she was supposed to be in kindergarten right now, not leaving the hospital with a brain injury. He smiled as he heard her squeal across the room as Rachel carefully pulled her hair back. The patch from where the doctors had cut her hair to take out the piece of her skull was starting to grow back nicely. They'd be back in a few months to have that replaced again, but Finn didn't want to think about that. He just wanted to take his family home, lock the door and love on them forever.

When they were finally ready, Finn slung the bag full of her stuff over his shoulder while Rachel carried what remained of the flowers they could keep.

"Carry me Daddy?" Autumn asked from her spot at his feet, looking up at him with big eyes. Finn's heart leapt a little bit as he adjusted the bag on his shoulder, before bending down and scooping her up in his arms. She leaned against his left side, resting her arm on his shoulder with her head on top, her body snuggled just by his heart. He stood there for a moment, holding her in his arms and kissed her head softly. He looked over to see Rachel standing there with the flowers in her hands, tears in her eyes. He opened his other arm to her and she stepped into his embrace timidly, leaning on his chest for a moment as he placed a kiss on her head much in the same manner he had Autumn's.

"Let's go home." He offered quietly after they had their moment. He felt Rachel nod against his chest as she pulled away. She took one more glance around the room and when she saw that they had packed everything, led the way out of the small room that had become all too familiar to all of them the past few weeks. Once they were out of the room, Finn grabbed for her hand as they walked down the hallway towards the elevator. He squeezed it gently when she took it in hers, rubbing his thumb along her knuckles as they waited for the elevator to come and Autumn snuggled into his chest more, her thumb coming to her mouth. Finn closed his eyes for a moment just as the elevator arrived, blowing out a breath and stepping inside the small space after Rachel.

Once they got to the car, Finn attempted to put Autumn's feet on the ground. She clung to him and wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.

"Autumn, can I just put you down for a second princess?" He felt her legs wrap around his waist tighter and he sighed, trying to move her weight to one arm but it wasn't working.

"No Daddy." She whimpered against his shoulder.

"Alright, alright Autumn." He whispered. He saw Rachel put the flowers she was holding in her hands down on the roof of the car and opened her arms to Finn. He gave her a questioning look, she was still getting her strength back in her once broken arm. She shrugged in response. "Can I give you to Mommy?" He whispered into her hair. He felt the grip she had on both his waist and neck loosen, and he managed to hand her over to Rachel, who she clung to just as hard.

Dr. Peyton had warned about this, her reactions to going home. While she was happy and bubbly as they were leaving, being confronted with such a significant change in her environment was bound to cause her to unravel. They had even warned that the car could be a trigger. Autumn didn't remember a lot about the accident, but she remembered hearing the screams of her sister as the cars collided. They had been careful with details, telling her what she needed to know and what she could handle as a four year old.

He dug the keys to the car out of his back pocket and popped the trunk, putting Autumn's bag in the trunk before going around Rachel to grab the flowers to put them away as well. He smiled gently when he heard Rachel softly singing to Autumn as the little girl laid her head on her shoulder. Finn closed the trunk and opened the door for Rachel to put Autumn in her car seat. She immediately began to struggle against Rachel, holding tightly to her shoulders and waist.

"Mommy" She cried. Finn came to help her and attempted to unclench the little girl from around her.

"It's alright Autumn, it's going to be fine. We're just going home baby girl." Rachel tried to sooth as Finn finally got her free and into her car seat. Autumn sobbed and started to shake as Finn did up the buckles.

Rachel felt her strength wavering as she looked at her daughter. Her heart was breaking, the terrified and emotional look on Autumn's face was killing her.

"Mommy" She sobbed, reaching for her. Rachel leaned into the car and pressed a kiss to Autumn's forehead, running her fingers through her hair.

"It's okay princess. It's okay." She attempted to soothe, but Autumn wasn't having it.

She ended up riding in the backseat with her, just to get her to calm down. Finn smiled at her through the rear-view mirror before he pulled out of the space and began the drive back to the house.

Sheridan was in the living room when they got home. She immediately stood up as Finn walked in the room, Autumn again perched on his hip. Rachel followed behind him closely, after dropping the flowers on the kitchen counter. Autumn immediately buried her head in Finn's shoulder, while Rachel tried to give Sheridan a look that conveyed what was going on. The family stayed quiet for a few minutes, each of them absorbing the moment. Even if they didn't realize it, the moment was huge for each one of them. For Rachel and Finn, it was a moment that paralleled the feelings they had had four years ago when they first brought Autumn home as a newborn while also masking something bigger. They were on the precipice of something new for their family, something different...something stronger. For Sheridan, it was a big moment that solidified to her that maybe things were going to be okay. And for Autumn, it was a moment that her world changed once again.

Minutes passed before anyone said anything. Sheridan leaned over from her spot beside Finn and Autumn on the couch and kissed her sister's head gently.

"I'm glad you're home Autumn." She said softly. Autumn looked up at her big sister and gave her a big smile.

And the ice was broken.

Autumn asked Sheridan to watch a movie with her, which Sheridan agreed to. She'd chosen The Jungle Book for an odd reason, but Sheridan didn't say anything aside from mentioning it had been her favourite movie when she was her age. She even let Autumn curl up into her side as she sucked her thumb.

Rachel and Finn stood together in the doorway to the living room. Rachel leaned herself into Finn and sighed as her head hit his chest. He ran his hands up and down her arms before placing a kiss on her head. She turned her head to look up at him and placed a soft kiss on his lips. He looked down at her surprised, while she blushed.

"Why don't you join them...I'll go make some popcorn." He nudged her side as he gestured to the girls. Rachel smiled up at him and nodded her response before kissing him again and pulling herself from his arms.

He watched her as she walked into the living room and sat down on the other side of Autumn before he moved into the kitchen to make the popcorn. When he went back to the living room with the big bowl in his hands he smiled when he saw that Autumn had moved from being curled up in Sheridan's side to cuddled up against Rachel's chest and Sheridan had moved to curl into Rachel's free side. He slid himself into the space that was left on the couch, laying his arm along the top of the couch as Rachel maneuvered her body to lean against his.

When the movie ended, Rachel put together a quick lunch before Autumn fell asleep. Finn carried her up the stairs to her bedroom as she sucked on her thumb. That was becoming a habit for her, and had developed out of what Dr. Peyton said to be a coping mechanism. It was just weird because she had never been a thumb sucker when she was younger. Rachel followed on his heels, and turned down her blankets as Finn placed her down on the mattress. When she was comfortable, they both kissed her head. Finn went to leave the room, but Rachel grabbed for his hand. She tugged him towards where she was standing, a few steps away from where Autumn was sleeping. She curled into his side as they stood in silence for a moment.

"She's really going to be okay, isn't she?" She asked quietly into his side. Finn rubbed his hand up and down her back before coming to rest on her hip.

"She's going to be just fine." He sighed into her hair before pressing a kiss there.

* * *

Rachel was just throwing a load of laundry into the dryer when she heard screaming from upstairs. She was the only one home, Finn had gone out to the grocery store to pick up a few necessities and Sheridan had tagged along with him. Rachel had been content to stay home with Autumn and get some housework done. It felt good to get into the swing of normal life, with something as mundane as housework. She hadn't realized she'd missed it so much, the lull of simple tasks that took care of her family. She slammed the dryer door closed and limped up the stairs and towards Autumn's room as fast as she could. Her heart broke when she reached the doorway, her eyes landing on Autumn sobbing in her bed. Rachel crossed the small room and sat on the bed, pulling her into her arms.

"Oh Autumn..." She whispered as she snuggled into her chest. Her sobs began to wane as she nuzzled into her, clutching her shirt tightly in her little fist. "It's okay baby. It's okay."

"Mommy" She whimpered into her chest. "Mommy"

"It's okay princess. I got you. It's alright." She brushed her lips over the top of Autumn's head. "What's bothering you baby?"

"I didn't know where I was" She hiccupped slowly. "I woked up and the room was different"

Rachel's heart broke as Autumn hiccupped again against her chest. She used her hand to rub soothing circles on her back. "I was scared Mommy."  
Autumn continued to clutch Rachel's shirt in her hand.

"I know it's scary. But you're home honey, you're home. This is your room. I know it's been a long time since you've been home but this is your house baby. And everything is going to be okay."

Autumn sighed as she took a deep breath, her breath still shaking from the sobs she had emitted. Rachel kissed her head.

"You okay now princess?" She asked quietly.

Autumn nodded as she stuck her thumb in her mouth again. She heard the door open and close downstairs.

"Should we go and see if Daddy and Sheridan brought the pizza home with them?" She brushed her hair from her eyes. Autumn nodded against her chest. Rachel slowly slid off the bed while Autumn clung to her, wrapping her legs around her waist and arms around her neck much like she had earlier. She walked slowly out of the room, trying to keep a good hold on her. Thank God their house didn't have a lot of stairs. She slowly made her way towards the kitchen, where Finn and Sheridan were standing at the counter. The aroma of pizza was strong in the kitchen, and Rachel's stomach grumbled. Finn looked up from where he was putting away the groceries he had picked up while Sheridan got plates and stuff for the pizza.  
He smiled when his eyes met hers and he immediately abandoned putting away the canned vegetables that he had bought and went over to Rachel's side. He placed his hand on Autumn's back and she flinched, twisting more into Rachel's body. Finn looked to Rachel who gave him a sympathetic look.

"Hey Autumn bug, you okay baby girl?" He said quietly, looking down at her. She nodded against Rachel's chest with her thumb still in her mouth as Finn patted her head.

"Did you bring home the pizza?" She asked quietly.

Finn chuckled a little bit. He gently pulled Autumn away from Rachel and carried her into the dining room where Sheridan had set the table. He managed to put her down on her chair just as Rachel walked in with the pizza in her hands. They were quiet as Finn dished out the pizza to each of them and Rachel made sure they each had a drink.

She made sure that Autumn's pizza was cut up enough for her to eat it before settling in to her own piece. She looked up from her plate and smiled when she saw that Finn was looking at her. She returned his smile with a small one of her own before going back to her pizza.

Finn washed up the dishes while Rachel gave Autumn a bath and got her ready to go to bed. When they walked down the stairs together, Sheridan and Finn were sitting on the couch flipping through the channels on the TV.  
Autumn ran over to the couch and crawled up onto Finn's lap as his arms curled around her.

"Well I'm going to head upstairs and take a shower. I have to finish a math assignment before I head to bed. If you need me I'll be in my room." Sheridan smiled. Both Rachel and Finn nodded. She stopped in front of both of them so they could give her a hug before she said good night to Autumn and headed up the stairs.

Rachel sat down on the couch beside Finn and turned so her body was facing his. Autumn had settled on Finn's chest and was sleepily sucking on her thumb. Rachel reached over and began to play with her soft hair which eventually lulled her to sleep. They stayed like that for a few minutes, cuddled together on the couch. Rachel couldn't drag her eyes away from Autumn's peaceful face. Her finger had fallen out of her mouth, and she slept with her mouth slightly open. Rachel watched as her chest rose and fell, in sync with Finns.

"Think we should take her up to bed?" He asked quietly. Rachel dragged her eyes away from Autumn's sleeping form to meet Finn's.

"I don't know." She sighed a little bit. "She freaked out when she woke up from her nap...so I'm kind of scared, for her I mean...to put her to bed." Finn nodded, kissing Autumn's head.

"We've gotta try though." He whispered. "I don't know if it's safe for her to be in our bed...you're still healing Rach." She nodded sadly. "It'll be okay. We'll work through it. I'll sleep on her floor if I have to..."  
She smiled gently at him before running her fingers through Autumn's hair again.

"I don't want to let her go" Finn said softly after a silence had fallen over them. Rachel leaned over and kissed his cheek before laying her head on his shoulder. She nodded against him in agreement.

"When I woke up...that day in the hospital...I was so scared" She started quietly, not wanting to meet his eyes. "And then when you said she wasn't awake, and she was so broken...every part of me that was scared morphed into something bigger. I was terrified that we were going to lose her. Fear gripped every fibre of my being for those two weeks that she was gone. It didn't matter to me how hurt I was, it killed me that I couldn't just get up and go see her like you had been. I thought for sure that they were going to come in one day and tell me...tell us to take her off life support and we would..." The tears began to trickle down her cheeks, landing on Finn's shirt. He moved to wrap his arm around her, pulling her into him more. Autumn sighed in her sleep against her chest. "I was so scared that we were going to lose her. I couldn't handle losing her Finn." She looked up at him and saw that he wasn't looking at her anymore, instead he was looking up at the ceiling and she could see the tear tracks flowing down his cheeks. He swallowed hard, his Adams apple bobbing in his neck.

"When the phone rang that day Rach..." He moved his head so he was looking down at her again. "When the phone rang and the caller ID said it was you, my heart immediately started beating wildly. And then when I answered it, and Sheridan was sobbing and screaming on the other end of the line, my heart immediately fell to the pit of my stomach. My blood froze and I couldn't...I couldn't get out of the apartment fast enough." He swallowed hard. "I heard them tear the car to bits but I didn't hear you or Autumn and it felt like a piece of me was dying. I was terrified that something horrible was happening to you guys. I couldn't lose you or the girls. My heart was shattered. The entire drive to the hospital was a blur, I can't even remember getting there or parking. The only thought on my mind at that moment was that I was going to lose you and I hadn't made it right. Hadn't told you how much I love you and how much I love our life and our girls. I was going to lose the girls, who were the best part of you and me. I was so scared that I was going to lose my family and it was all my fault." His tears were coming down his cheeks quickly now, just like hers. "I was so scared Rachel. I...that feeling was the worst in the world." Autumn shifted a little in his arms, curling in tighter to Finn's chest and clutching his shirt in her hand. Rachel sat up, as if the motion of their daughter had broken her trance. She stood up and reached a hand out to him to help him stand. They walked through the house together and locked the door before heading up the few stairs to Autumn's room. Finn laid her down on her bed while Rachel covered her in her comforter, just like they had that afternoon for her nap. They slipped out of her room quietly and both noted the darkness that was seeping out of the bottom of Sheridan's door before heading to their own.

Finn closed the door behind them and just stood in place. Rachel stood in front of him, biting her lip as she looked up at him. Both of them were frozen in their spots, both of them looking at each other wondering what the other one was going to do and who was going to move first. It was him that broke first. He hesitantly placed his hands on her hips, gently and slowly pulling her to him. He didn't want to hurt her, she was still healing from her own injuries. Her breath quickened as her body came to rest flush against his own, just as he dipped his head down to place a soft yet passionate kiss on her lips. She surged up on her toes, wrapping her own arms around his neck as she responded in kind to his kiss. When she pulled away from him, his eyelids were heavy and his breathing unsteady.

"Rach..." He whispered as one of his hands moved from her hip to her cheek. He traced her tear tracks with the pad of his thumb as he looked down at her before leaning down and capturing her lips again.

"Finn..." She breathed as the kiss ended, just as he gently swept her up into his arms and brought her over to their bed.

"I love you Rachel." He whispered as he looked at her, a genuine look in his eyes. She gasped as the look in his eyes took her back to a place when there wasn't so much water between them, when there wasn't so much hurt and pain. He didn't wait for her to say it back, he knew she needed time. But he did surge forward and kiss her again, trying to tell her everything he wanted her to know with just that one kiss.

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_**Thoughts? **_


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